Meet Me Halfway
by new.sage
Summary: Set after Episode 4.15 "Stand By Me." Caroline fights her continuous attraction to Klaus while helping her friends in a difficult time. He makes her question her beliefs. When evil as they'd never seen before draws near, they must work together. She can't help but wonder: Will Klaus succumb to Caroline's light, or will he bring out her dark side instead? Can they ever meet halfway?
1. Chapter 1: We're the Same, Caroline

**Author's Note: While TVD is on its second Season 4 hiatus, I decided to create a story that goes into the direction of Klaus and Caroline's developing. This first chapter was created BEFORE episode 16 came out. The rest is just what I want to happen from these first chapters on. This isn't an AU fic, so if you're looking for some Klaroline development that sticks to the storyline somewhat realistically, this should be for you! ;) Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own The Vampire Diaries. **

"Tyler," Caroline began, her phone by her ear. "I've left you, like, a thousand messages in the past three hours. It's been two days now. I'm sort of just riding on the hope that you've turned your phone off, or even tossed it on the street somewhere." She let out a shaky laugh. "Please be okay. I know you're on the run and most likely don't have time for answering, but just in case you do hear this…" Caroline trailed off, her throat clogging up.

"I miss you," she said finally. "I miss you, and I just know that our good-bye wasn't really a good-bye, because I love you and you love me and our last memory isn't supposed to be on a porch that doesn't exist anymore because Elena burned the house down and I love you and I miss you and good-bye." Caroline's finger twitched at the "end call" button, breathless from her ramble. Slowly, she brought the phone down from her ear.

Last night, she had cried herself to sleep. Not just for Tyler, but for Elena and Jeremy and Matt and Bonnie and everyone else who had been scarred by the deadly search for the cure for vampirism. Which, by the way, ended up being for nothing as Katherine magically appeared and stole the only dose.

Now, Jeremy was gone and so was Tyler, though Caroline didn't allow herself to believe for a second that their separation was permanent. To make matters worse, the evil first immortal being ever created was just roaming around, and Caroline and her friends had no idea what Silas even looked like, let alone have information as to how to stop him.

Caroline had woken up with some resolve. She was the bossy, neurotic, and to a lesser extent, maternal one. She could fix things. She _would_ fix things.

After brushing aside stray feelings lingering after her voicemail to Tyler, Caroline picked up her phone again. She had one more call to make.

He picked up on the first ring. "You should have come over," he said.

"Good morning to you too, Stefan," Caroline began jokingly. Then she grew serious. "Why, what's wrong? Is it Elena?" Panic rose within her at the thought of yet another friend facing a difficult time.

The previous night, Elena's boyfriend Damon (who Caroline still didn't approve of) had used his complex vampire sire bond to get Elena to turn off her humanity. Although Caroline was never one to agree with scum like Damon, she had to admit that it was the only way to help Elena during her period of depression. Elena had just lost Jeremy forever—her brother and the person she loved most in the world. Turning off Elena's humanity would lessen the pain, but it was only a temporary solution with many side effects to boot. However, Caroline was optimistic that Elena wouldn't feed on innocent people if her, Stefan, and Damon kept a close eye on her.

"No, it's not Elena," Stefan replied. "Well yeah, it is, but it's not just her. The Mayor dumped vervain into the town's water supply, remember? Last time I checked, my place is the only house in Mystic Falls with showers that won't burn us creatures of the night to our deaths."

"We're already dead, Stefan."

"Very funny. Either way, you're more than welcome to freshen up here. Come over later." Stefan's voice dropped a little. "We also need you to come here to think of some way to help Elena. Anything to distract her from thinking about, you know, what happened," he whispered.

"Already have a plan for that," Caroline said, then let out a small sigh of relief. "It's sort of sad to say this, but I honestly haven't even thought about taking a shower, what with everything that's been going on. I'll come over as soon as I can."

"The reigning Miss Mystic Falls, everybody," she heard Damon say from the other end. Caroline rolled her eyes.

"I'm not Miss Mystic Falls anymore, Damon. How typical that you would go to the actual pageant and not realize that. And Stefan, I had a reason for calling too, you know." She paused, memories of the previous nights washing over her.

Bargaining and pleading and cruelty and mercy and pity and the strangeness that was… Klaus. Caroline shuddered, remembering his words to her. He had asked if she wanted to take the cure along with her friends, if she had the chance. Somehow, he had prodded his way into finding out her little secret: that she enjoyed vampire life over her human one.

_"You wouldn't, would you?" Klaus said, a small smile appearing on his face. "You prefer who you are now to the girl you once were." Caroline didn't speak. She was, to be frank, stunned at his realization._

_"You like being strong," Klaus continued as they stood inches apart, on opposite sides of the threshold. "Ageless. Fearless."_

And then the words that still sent shivers down her spine.

_"We're the same, Caroline."_

Were they? Caroline had spent all this time condemning him for being a cruel hearted murderer incapable of real feelings, but was she just like him all along? God, she didn't want to be anything like him, not like the—

"Care?" Stefan's voice floated through the phone, interrupting her thoughts. She snapped out of her daydream.

"Right. Hi. I was going to ask if you've heard anything from a certain Original vampire-werewolf hybrid? One named Klaus, hopefully."

"No, I haven't," Stefan said in a suspicious tone. "Why are you looking for him, of all people?"

Caroline sighed. "You know he's on the hunt for Tyler, right?"

"And you think you can convince our resident evil villain to let your little boyfriend go."

"Well, I'm hoping!"

Stefan was quiet for a moment.

"He's probably in his house right now, if he hasn't already gone after him. I would hurry if I were you, though."

"All right. Thanks, Stefan. Really. I know you've got a lot on your plate right now, too. Believe me, I'll come over right after I visit him and help you guys."

"Yeah. And one more thing, Care?"

"What is it?"

Stefan sighed. "We all know Klaus has some sort of out-of-character infatuation with you. You've used that to your full advantage so far, but…"

"But what, Stefan?" Caroline said impatiently.

"But remember that he has feelings. I know it sounds crazy," Stefan added hurriedly. "Just, I don't know. Deep down, Klaus is just… really, really lonely. You know? We're all sort of the same when it comes down to that."

Caroline froze.

_"We're the same, Caroline."_

She heard Stefan sigh again. "Fine, whatever. Forget I said it. See you later, then."

"Um, yes," Caroline breathed out, finally finding the ability to speak again. "I'll, uh, see you soon."

She ran a brush through her wavy blonde hair, grabbed a jacket, and headed out to her car.


	2. Chapter 2: Across The Threshold

**Hi, again! So this is the second chapter, where we get a Klaroline scene. I'm not making their relationship fast or rushed at all; they're still going to be an extremely progressive ship. I'll try to update daily to make up for that :) Please review!**

With one final angry stroke, Klaus tossed his paintbrush aside and collapsed onto a nearby couch. He glared at his work, paint still glistening in the little sunlight that the narrow windows had to offer. Klaus knew that painting to blow off steam was hardly a good idea, especially for someone as impulsive as he. One second he would be frantically mixing colors, and the next he would find the whole piece disgusting and rip it apart.

This particular painting, however, Klaus could not bring himself to tear down.

It depicted a forest. A strong black stallion stood in a dark circle of trees, where thick, purple storm clouds were gathering on top of. The horse was beautiful but hopelessly scarred. A jagged streak of blood marred the side of its delicate face and what looked like whip marks crisscrossed its torso and back.

It was looking up, at a lighter, greener, and younger tree. This tree stood in the part of the forest that was laced with light. Beams of sunlight wove through the leaves, and on one of the branches perched a bird. It was a small golden canary, basking in the sunrays. If you weren't looking for it, you would never have seen it. The canary was hidden in a way that it was camouflaged with the light yellow leaves behind it.

Although his vampire vision was superb, Klaus still squinted at the painting critically. Ironically, it was one of the only things about him that still remained from his human life, over a thousand years ago.

Standing up and adding a few last strokes to the glowing leaves, Klaus lifted the painting from the easel and propped it against his wall to dry. He then turned around and sighed.

The room was a disaster area. Paintbrushes were tossed haphazardly on the floor and a ceramic bowl of oil paint had broken, sending dark purple all across the shiny marble tiles. He chuckled, thinking of how Caroline would have reacted if she were here. He thought back to around three days ago, while he was still trapped in the Gilbert family room and Caroline had walked in.

_"Well you can gloat and multitask," she said matter-of-factly to Tyler. "This place is a disaster. Starting with the horrific burnt corpse."_

The corpse. Tyler. The living room. Klaus could feel his anger rising again. He grabbed the couch he had been sitting in and wrenched it off the floor, tossing it across the room. It hit a door and blew it off its hinges. Perfect. Now Klaus didn't even have to open the door to race outside and hunt down his abominable last hybrid.

Clenching his fists, Klaus stood there in his living room contemplating the many ways he could rip Tyler's throat out. He would first go after Tyler, yes. Then he would slowly pick off the others: Jeremy and Elena for killing his brother and then Bonnie for trapping Klaus with her dark magic. Even Damon was disposable, just because he was an annoying tool who'd double-crossed Klaus more than anyone could count.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear the doorbell ring. Almost. Whoever was at the door, Klaus would snap his neck. If it was a random unfortunate, then too bad. The only thing Klaus could think about at the moment was blood, blood, and more blood.

The bell rang for a second time. This time, Klaus speeded towards the door, opened it, and reached out to kill whoever it was.

But whoever it was speeded about twenty feet back and behind some nearby bushes before Klaus could react. He looked up, astonished, catching sight of a familiar wave of blonde hair disappear.

He rolled his eyes. Obviously it would be her. After all, who else would be able to have been fast enough to evade his attack?

"I'm not in the mood for games, Rebekah," Klaus called.

A small figure stepped from the shadows.

"Actually, it's me," she said in the same chirping voice that Klaus had grown so fond of.

Now, however, he froze in astonishment. Part of him was still raging—the fierce predatory feeling that wanted to destroy her for manipulating him in the worst way of all. Another part of him, the very old part that hadn't really triggered in centuries, craved her next to him so that he could simply sit back and memorize her face.

One thing was for certain. Klaus didn't want her to see him like this, torn between impulse and the shreds of his humanity.

So he plastered on a smile that wasn't entirely fake and said:

"Caroline, what a lovely surprise. Unfortunately, you've come at a bad time, love. My sincerest apologies." He was just about to close the door when she zipped across the large porch and stopped him. Her eyes were frantic and somewhat panicked.

Klaus gave her an irritated look.

"As much as I hoped you would come knocking on my door one day, I'm afraid I'll have to hold off on my promise and show you the world in some other time. Good-bye Caro—"

"No! Klaus, I…" Caroline broke off, unsure what to say. She mentally cursed herself for not planning this out ahead of time. How was it that she'd managed to remember to not get too close to the door—just in case Klaus was in a mood—but not know what to say to him once she saw him?

"Tyler hasn't returned my calls," Caroline blurted. She removed her hand from the door and leaned against the doorframe awkwardly, not trusting to step away.

"I haven't gone after him yet, if that's what you were wondering."

"But you're about to," she said bluntly.

Klaus looked down at the paint-splattered soles of his combat boots and didn't say anything.

Caroline sighed. "I'm right, aren't I? That's why you attempted to strangle me when you opened the door? I sort of anticipated that reaction and stood purposely away. You know, because after the last time I got too close, you drove a lamp through my stomach?"

He glared at her. "You still think so low of me? Let us not forget who extended mercy on Tyler, for your sake. Let us not pretend as if I immediately went after him when the barrier fell down. Yet here I am, more than a day after I could have caught up to him and ripped his worthless throat out. Consider the little humanity I have bled dry." Klaus snarled the last part at her.

Caroline didn't flinch. She just looked at him thoughtfully for a few seconds.

"How much do you know?"

"What?"

"About the cure. The rest of them came back yesterday. Don't you want to know who has the dose?"

Klaus's mouth pressed in a thin, hard line.

"How about I make an educated guess, and you can tell me where my imagination deviates from reality," he said, echoing some words he'd once said to Tyler.

"They have all returned with the dose of the cure under one arm and a dead Bennett witch under the other, hence the early collapse of the living room barrier. Elena and my dearest baby sister Rebekah realize that their best bet for safety is to give up their claims on the cure and ram it down my throat instead."

"And you, my lovely, are stuck being Klaus bait once again. Do you understand why I cannot invite you in now? You'll be likely to slip the cure in my tea and snap my neck once I'm human!" Klaus finished with his trademark smirk.

Caroline scoffed. "Oh, please. We obviously wouldn't be having tea. I would make us drink your best champagne."

A glint of amusement sparked in Klaus's eyes.

"And why is that?"

"Well I'd want your last undead moments to be enjoyable, wouldn't I? Not stuck drinking the crappy kind we had at the Grill?"

Klaus laughed despite himself, feeling some of his anger lift. He gave her an appraising look and shook his head.

"Fine. You win, once again. You may come inside and tell me what's on your mind while informing me about the cure as well." He headed into the hallway.

"Wait, aren't you afraid that I have the cure?" she asked.

Klaus turned slowly and looked at her. He smiled wryly.

"I trust you, Caroline."

Caroline stood there in the threshold debating her choices. Unlike him, she wasn't completely trusting. However, she knew that if she stayed long enough to distract him, Tyler would be able to get even further away. If she ended up hurt by Klaus or even worse, dead, it would be worth it if Tyler got a chance to live.

She sighed and stepped inside. "All right then. Where should I leave my coat?"

* * *

Stefan heard footsteps clobber down the stairs. His brother's tall, dark figure appeared in the doorway.

"How is she?" Stefan asked in a low voice. Lately, he hadn't been able to say much in a normal volume for the fear of Elena overhearing.

Damon shrugged and poured himself a glass of wine. "How do you think? Her humanity's off. She's not good, not bad. She's indifferent."

"Are you sure you did the right thing?"

Damon squinted at him incredulously. "You're kidding, right? We've been over this. Elena is in too much pain over Jeremy. It was the only way to not let the darkness eat her from inside."

Stefan ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. He thought back to his Ripper days, when he turned his own humanity off and slaughtered mercilessly. That had only made the guilt worse when he came back to his senses.

"We'll have to watch her," he said at last.

"She's not some caged animal," Damon replied, holding up his glass. "If she wants to be free, I say let her."

"No, Damon. When she turns her humanity back on, she's going to look back on every kill she made, and the pain is going to hit her like a tidal wave. A hundred times worse, I guarantee you."

His brother rolled his eyes.

"Okay, baby bro. We'll take shifts, how's that? I call the night shift on Elena Watch." He smirked at Stefan as he walked past him and towards the stairs again.

"I'm serious."

"Relax. I've got this." Damon looked around. "Now where's Barbie?"

"I already called Caroline. She's coming over later. She says she has a plan to help Elena."

"Well I'd love to hear it, cause I've got nothing. Why can't she come right now? Call her again and tell her to hurry."

"Caroline's lost people too, you know. I bet you didn't know that Tyler is now on the run from Klaus. She's trying to convince Klaus to stop his hunt as we speak." Stefan gave an exhausted sigh. "Everyone has their own universe of problems and loss to deal with."

"Thanks, Confucius. Now give me your phone. If you don't tell her to come right now, I will."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Okay, Damon. Then you can pull Caroline out of her little meeting with Klaus and wait for him to go after Tyler. I hope you realize that after he kills him, he'll be coming after Elena next. Or should I remind you that Klaus's brother is dead because of her?"

"All right. Let Blondie work her magic. But I'm telling you that if she doesn't convince him, we're gonna have to find some way to destroy Klaus in his sleep or something. We're not going to run away like Katherine, got it?" Damon said the last part fiercely.

Katherine was a sore subject; a vampire both Stefan and Damon had once been in love with, and also the girl who had turned the both of them into vampires too. She was evil, sneaky, and manipulative in ways her angelic face misled. And one more thing.

She looked exactly like Elena.

Not to mention that Katherine suddenly appeared out of nowhere on that island and sacrificed Jeremy to get the cure from Silas's tomb.

Katherine. She had the cure. An idea lit in Stefan's mind.

"Damon," he said. "That's it! Katherine!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Katherine has the cure. She's not going to take it, obviously. Katherine has spent over five hundred years avoiding Klaus. She got it in order to use it on him!"

Damon processed this. "And you want to team up with her?"

"We have to keep Elena safe. And think about it. With Klaus out of the picture, Tyler will be free too. Everyone's happy."

"Not Elijah and certainly not Rebekah," Damon noted, naming the last two remaining siblings of Klaus.

Stefan closed his eyes. Rebekah. She would be devastated and betrayed for many reasons. She was the one with the most to lose from all of this—with her dreams of being a human crushed and her closest brother wiped from the face of earth forever. Surely she would come seeking revenge, along with Elijah.

They were the Originals—the oldest, strongest, and fastest vampires. Just one of them could turn both Stefan and Damon into cream of wheat within seconds.

Stefan rubbed his temples. And did he really want Klaus gone? He recalled what he'd just said to Caroline on the phone, about how Klaus was just really lonely. His mind flashbacked to a mere few weeks ago, when Tyler's plan to take out Klaus by unsiring all of his hybrids had backfired horribly.

Klaus had looked at Stefan before he left to kill his "second family," for betraying him. His eyes were dark with a thousand years of pain.

_"Loneliness, Stefan," he said. "That is why you and I memorialize our dead. There's the briefest of moments before we kill, when we literally hold their life in our hands. And then we rip it away."_

_"So collecting my victim's letters or writing their names on a wall is a reminder. That in the end, we are left infinitely, and utterly_

_Alone."_

Damon's voice pulled him from his reverie. "Well don't let me interrupt your philosophizing."

"Sorry," Stefan said, his mind spinning.

"What about after we kill Klaus?" Damon asked. "We still have this creepy Silas guy to worry about. We don't know what he looks like. He could be any of us and secretly taking our personal wants to use them against us in the end. Like Klaus did, remember?"

"Yes, I'm aware," Stefan snapped. "One evil villain to handle at a time, agreed?"

His brother nodded and walked away.


	3. Chapter 3: Your Best Champagne

Caroline tried to ignore the mess of paints and bowl shards in one of Klaus's living rooms when he led her past it. Once she saw the catastrophe, however, there was no unseeing it. Her control freak instincts came out and she barged into the room before Klaus was able to stop her.

"I thought you cared about cleanliness and interior design and all that," Caroline remarked as she began searching for a mop.

Klaus, who had been worried of what she'd think of the aftermath of his tantrum, smiled.

"Never use those two words in the same sentence again. In no world are they synonyms."

Caroline ignored his comment. As she slammed another cabinet door, she threw both hands up in exasperation.

"Klaus, where do you put your cleaning supplies?"

"Look in the next cabinet, love." He gazed at her patiently as she began rummaging. "Is this what I'm going to spend the rest of my time with doing with you? Cleaning?" Not that he minded. Any time with Caroline—excluding the times when she acted as if she couldn't stand the thought of him—was good. Klaus took a step closer to her.

Caroline turned to face him, a wet cloth in one hand and a sponge in the other.

"It wouldn't hurt you to pick up a lesson or two from…" She snatched up the paintbrush Klaus had tossed on the floor earlier and pretended it was a microphone. "…Housewives 101, brought to you by Caroline Forbes!" She grinned. Klaus noticed with some amusement that Caroline had gotten a drop of the purple paint on her chin.

"And how are you so certain that I haven't picked up some housewife abilities already?" Klaus teased.

"You seriously have?"

"I _have_ lived a thousand years."

Caroline scoffed. "Not this again."

"What?"

"The 'thousand years' thing. I get it, you've painted with Van Gogh and initiated the French Revolution. You know what? You've probably even ran track with the dinosaurs! I bet _they _gave your Original hybrid speed a run for your money."

Klaus couldn't help it. He laughed again. It was a deep, booming sound. Caroline realized with shock that she had never heard him laugh like this before. Sure, they had chuckled for a while at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. But this was a _real _laugh, one in which Caroline had initiated in him.

Apart from the small burst of pride and satisfaction she felt, a part of her also knew that this was wrong. She shouldn't be laughing with the guy who stabbed her with a lamp, whether or not he saved her in the end. She should definitely not be laughing with the guy who would potentially end Tyler's life.

_Stay in control, Caroline_, she thought fiercely.

She gripped the sponge and walked away to fill a plastic bucket with soap water, avoiding his eyes. Klaus watched her admiringly.

"I'll get us a drink, Caroline," he called.

* * *

"I'm bored," Damon heard a voice call from the bed. He shifted in his seat on the couch and turned his bright blue eyes towards her. Elena.

She stood up and stretched, not looking at him. Damon gulped and averted his eyes from her provocative pose.

Elena smirked. "Why so shy now, Damon? I could swear that a few months ago we were in the exact same positions." She vampire speeded in front of him, so that her face was the only thing that filled Damon's peripherals. "Just switched," she whispered.

It was true. Damon had not too long ago appeared shirtless before the human Elena, causing her to shy away. Now he returned the smirk, although it was a little difficult.

She reminded him so much of Katherine.

He supposed that he should have expected this. After all, Vampire Elena with her humanity turned off was basically Katherine. Damon just hoped that Elena's feeding habits wouldn't become like her double's either.

No. Not double. Elena was her own person. Damon struggled to clear his thoughts.

"Caroline will be here later," he said, answering her previous question. "She has plans for you guys. You won't be bored."

At this, Elena rolled her eyes and unpeeled herself from him, flopping back onto the bed.

* * *

_Squeak squeak squeak._

The patches of color under Caroline slowly faded away as she scrubbed them with a soapy dishcloth. It had been no more than two minutes since Klaus had left to get the champagne, and she was already halfway done.

Soap. She needed more soap.

As she walked towards the bathroom to refill her bucket, something caught her eye. One of Klaus's paintings was leaning against the wall. Of course, Caroline knew that he collected many famous portraits over the centuries. He even worked on his own paintings—and they more than just good.

This one was obviously one that had been recently done by him. Caroline could still see the wet paint. She also recognized the color scheme as the oil paints that had been so mercilessly scattered across the floor.

She peered for a closer look. Dark woods with a patch of light. A broken, beautiful horse standing in the dark, its head tipped towards the light colored trees.

Caroline knew that his paintings were never this simple. Her mind flash backed again to a memory with him. This time, she had been examining his painting of a snowflake when he walked up behind her.

_"Here to steal Tiny Tim's crutches?" she'd asked, quoting A Christmas Carol._

_Klaus smiled. "Dickens was a dark man. You would've liked him."_

_Caroline rotated around the table when Klaus took a step towards her._

_"Nice snowflake, by the way." _

_"Is my work really that literal?"_

_She smiled. "I'm serious. There's something… lonely about it." _

Now Caroline examined the horse painting. The black stallion was obviously supposed to be Klaus. Not only was it broken in all the right places, but Caroline remembered that Klaus liked horses.

Something wasn't right. Why was Klaus tipped towards the light then? The Klaus she knew would stay in the dark, _preferred_ to stay in the dark.

Maybe there was hope for him yet.

Someone cleared his throat behind her.

"I like it," Caroline said without turning around.

Klaus stepped up beside her silently. His hands holding the two glasses and bottle were clasped behind his back. Although he had not wanted her to see such a private part of him, Klaus also secretly hoped that she would understand the true meaning of it. Klaus hoped that she had found the bird.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, only looking at Caroline.

She met his intense gaze and looked away quickly.

"You're good at painting horses, I'll give you that," she replied haughtily. So she hadn't seen the bird.

They stood there for a few seconds just looking at the painting. Caroline broke the silence.

"So are we going to get to the champagne or what? And it had better be the best brand you own."

He smiled.

* * *

**I hope you liked this chapter! Sorry if it was on the short side. I don't really have time to write much, so I try to aim for posting short chapters daily instead. When I have more time on my hands, I'll definitely make them lengthier ;) **

**Please review and let me know what you liked/didn't like! **


	4. Chapter 4: I Have Tried

**Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days now! I have so much work at school. This week is hectic, but next week is *drumroll* SPRING BREAK. That's right. Two weeks of writing new chapters :) thank you everyone who has reviewed and favorited! I hope you enjoy this chapter, which focuses on Klaroline alone ;)**

* * *

"So I was sitting there with the bluest ocean water I had ever seen all around me. It was so clear—I could see straight from above the surface all the way to five hundred feet down without even using my vampire vision. This part of the ocean had no secrets. There was none of the darkness that we vampires keep buried within us. And… that's basically my favorite place in the world. The Indian Ocean waters," Klaus finished, taking a sip of his champagne.

Caroline nodded her head. She had spent the past hour asking him about all the foreign places he'd been to. A potent part of her ached with the familiar longing to go out and visit these places.

She closed her eyes and tried to conjure up the image of the waters that Klaus had described, but couldn't. She had never seen an ocean—not a real ocean anyway.

"Are you trying to imagine it?" Klaus asked, faintly amused.

"So?" she retorted, scowling.

This earned her a full smile.

"You do realize that my offer to take you around the world still stands? Say the word and we can go, sweetheart."

"I can take myself around the world, thank you very much."

Klaus was at a loss for words for a second.

"You are right," he said at last. "You don't need me—or anyone for that matter—to help you do things. You're very capable."

"There's just been…one thing bothering me," he continued. "And I hope you don't mind my asking, but…"

"Just say it, Klaus," Caroline interrupted.

"I know you wish to see the world. I know that you've wanted to escape this tragic little town long before I'd even planted that seed in your head." He paused, thinking back to the night he'd fed her his blood on her birthday.

_"I'll let you in on a little secret," Klaus said, leaning closer to Caroline's sickly face. "There's a whole world out there waiting for you. Great cities, and art, and music. And you could have all of it. You could have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask."_

The sight of Caroline's expectant face brought him back to reality. He cleared his throat.

"When I gave Tyler a head start, I had not thought of all of the consequences. Later, the frightening possibility hit me. You wanted to flee town, and Tyler was forced to leave. If you had went with him, you would have been able to have both him by your side and a chance to see the world. I really thought you would have gone with him." His voice became soft.

"Why not? If you wish to visit all the different countries, explore all the deepest oceans, delve into layers upon layers of rich culture—then why didn't you go with him?"

Caroline widened her eyes with surprise. "I never even thought of that. Seriously. Not until you just mentioned it."

"Strange."

"Yes, strange." Caroline put her glass down and set her chin between her hands, a pensive look appearing on her face. A crease appeared between her eyebrows as she thought.

A few moments of silence passed.

"If you could catch up with him now…" Klaus trailed off.

"I wouldn't," she said, sighing.

"Yes, but if you could—"

"No. I meant that I wouldn't go with him."

Now it was Klaus's turn to look startled.

"Look, there's a lot that I haven't told you yet. But my friends? They need me right now. I couldn't leave them to go galloping off into the sunset, not while they're in so much trouble. And," She smiled. "you ought to know me. I wouldn't trade my own prom and graduation for anything."

Klaus didn't return the smile this time. Although Caroline didn't realize it yet, Klaus knew that he had essentially destroyed her dreams of going to prom with Tyler. He wondered how much longer she would be cordial with him until she realized.

He cleared his throat. "Right. So, I've told you about my favorite places at your request. I believe it's my turn for some answers?"

Caroline nodded, taking a careful sip of champagne.

"What happened on that island?"

* * *

"So Jeremy thought he saw Elena come to their rescue. And here's thing," Caroline paused, finally about to reveal the big piece of information after five minutes of summarizing and stalling.

"It wasn't Elena. It was… Katherine."

Klaus breathed in sharply. "Katerina. And you're telling me _she_ has the cure now?" His hands clenched by his sides. He knew that if she had it, she would use it on him. What other reason had she to go to such trouble?

Caroline looked away, confirming his suspicions. She was afraid of what Klaus would do now.

A knot in her stomach had begun to tighten horribly as she told the entire story from what she'd heard from Stefan. For the first time, Caroline felt stupid for jumping into something that no one really knew anything about. Like how there was only one dose. Or how by taking it, they would need to sacrifice one of their own.

She dared a peek at Klaus. He had considerably calmed down. Now, he just sat back calmly and gazed at her. "Go on." He sensed her fright and laughed humorlessly. "I won't hurt you, love."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. She took a deep breath to finish telling what happened, but she couldn't get through this part. She just couldn't.

Taking in Caroline's uncomfortable disposition, a sudden pang went in Klaus's heart as he had a terrifying thought. Was the reason that Caroline was acting so uneasy… because Rebekah was dead? No. Not both siblings within a week. And absolutely not Rebekah, the only one who had stayed by his side through a millennia of hurt and devastation.

"Caroline. Tell me." Klaus practically snarled. "If it's Rebekah…"

"No!" She replied immediately. "No, it's not her." Caroline noticed a wave of relief rush through Klaus and he visibly relaxed.

"Then who?"

"It's Jeremy," she said at last. "Jeremy's dead. Katherine killed him by feeding his blood to Silas."

Caroline felt hollow inside. The backs of her eyes ached, but she had run out of tears.

She looked up to see Klaus… smiling.

Caroline was up and out of her seat in an instant.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed. She pushed her chair back and gathered her things. "I can't believe you. You're _smiling_. Okay, you know what? I can believe you. That's the thing: this is so typically you."

"Caroline—"

"No, Klaus. Even after two nights ago when you gave me that speech saying—saying that every kind act you did was for my sake, you're still the same cruel murderer that you've always been. You're happy that Jeremy died." Caroline scoffed. "I guess some things just never change." She whirled around, heading down the hall and out the door. But before she could slam it dramatically, Klaus speeded up to her. This time, he was the one blocking the door with his hand.

"Listen," he growled. "Jeremy killed my brother, and you lot have also murdered my older brother before that. Or have you forgotten that Matt was the one who drove a White Oak Stake through Finn's heart as well?"

Caroline glared at him.

"Jeremy took Kol's life," he repeated. "And Elena helped him. If there is one feeling that I can feel that is the least bit close to _love_," Klaus sneered the last word. "It is loyalty to my family. I would've killed both Jeremy and Elena the moment they returned, but now Katherine has done my job for me. As for Elena," he smiled wickedly. "I'm sure she feels exactly as I feel about my own brother. And I will leave her like this. Do you understand? Death would be too easy on her now."

Caroline's moral compass was spinning wildly. In no world was what Klaus believed in right, but Kol had not really deserved to die either. He had never touched a hair on any of her friends, except Damon. Which Caroline didn't mind, because even then Kol had not intended on killing him. So what was right?

And what about Klaus? What did she despise him for now? Jeremy was dead, but Klaus was not the reason this time. Elena was losing her mind, but Klaus wasn't going to kill her either, despite his reasons for not doing so.

Tyler. A voice in her head reminded Caroline of why she was here in the first place.

"But you're still going to go after Tyler," she stated.

"We've been over this," Klaus hissed. "He tried to kill me multiple times, despite his repeated failures. I am not always the bad guy, just like your friends are not always morally correct." His voice softened.

"I may have done horrible things in the past. But you've said it yourself, that you've caught yourself wishing you could forget them."

"Oh, do_ not_ turn my words against me,"

"I'm not. All I'm saying is that what I said two nights ago is still true. I have tried to be better, but a thousand years of darkness makes this progress considerably slow. And if one thing is true throughout all of this, it is still this: it is all for you, Caroline."

She was quiet, just like two nights ago.

Klaus sighed and turned to go.

"Wait," Caroline whispered. He slowly turned back around. Caroline's heart tightened at his hopeful expression.

"There's Silas," she said, clearing her throat. "I forgot to tell you. We don't know where Silas is, but he's definitely free and out here somewhere. You should watch out."

He pursed his lips.

"And I'm sorry about your brother," Caroline's words tumbled out, almost tripping over each other. "I didn't care before because I thought you deserved it, but I am sorry now. I am." She gave him an earnest look. "I know how it feels to lose someone you love. And I don't mean Tyler. I meant my dad, even though he and I didn't get along until he died."

Klaus nodded mutely. He and Kol hadn't seen eye to eye either.

"Okay, Caroline," he sighed. It was as if both of them were holding their breaths.

"Okay what?"

"Okay, as in to prove my earlier statement about how I am trying to be just a little better for you, I will extend one more day to Tyler. But I mean it this time. Tomorrow, at the noon, I will leave to hunt him down."

Caroline could barely stop the relief from flooding her face. She had really done it. Even if it was just a day, she had really bought Tyler some more time.

"Thank you." She smiled at Klaus.

"I have tried," he replied, giving her one last meaningful look. "Remember that, Caroline." He turned back to his hallway and retreated into the shadows.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that! I'll try to have the next one up as soon as possible, hopefully before the next episode of TVD! (fangirl screams). I ****basically died during the three-week hiatus. But we'll see the next episode in less than a week (4x16) and I will compare that episode with my fic ;) I won't copy anything, obviously. Keep in mind again that this is set after 4x15 and goes off in whatever direction this story wants to go. **

**In the meantime, REVIEW PLEASE xoxo :) **


	5. Chapter 5: One Day

**Hello guys! Thanks so much for the reviews so far. I really enjoy writing this fan fiction and I hope there will be many more chapters to come! So this chapter is important for Caroline's own self development as she starts to question the people she has always known. You'll have to wait a bit for the Klaroline scenes, but I think you guys are really going to enjoy this chapter. It's significantly longer than any of the others I'd written, so hang in there :)**

* * *

"Good. You're here," Damon said as Caroline strode into the living room. "So what's the plan?"

"You don't have to talk about me like I'm some sort of experiment. I'm right here, guys," Elena spoke from the couch. She sat up. "And I'm _fine_."

Caroline glared at Damon and mouthed '_Good job_.' She turned to Elena. Caroline clasped her hands together and plastered on a smile.

"So, Elena!" she said brightly. "You know how prom's coming up, and I think it's about time we go have a look at some dresses. We're going shopping!"

Elena looked at her blankly. "It's February. Prom is three months away."

Caroline licked her lips. "Uh, yeah. But it couldn't hurt to take a look anyway! Besides, if we wait too long, all the good dresses will be gone and we'll have to buy from clearance." She shuddered at the thought.

Elena thought about this for a moment. "I'm hungry," she stated. She got up and began to walk to the door.

Caroline and Damon looked at each other in alarm. They had both anticipated this moment, when Elena would start to crave blood and go on the hunt for human flesh.

Just then, the door swung open and Stefan walked in.

"Shopping?" he called. "Good idea. You know what?" he dug into his jacket pocket for his wallet and tossed Caroline his credit card. "Get anything you want. Both of you. Make a day of it."

Elena sighed. "I don't want to go shopping. It's Saturday and the mall is crowded and stuffy, and…" she broke off, a slow smile appearing on her face.

"Yeah… let's go shopping," she said, giggling. "I'll be down in a minute." She bounded up the stairs to change.

Stefan shrugged at Caroline. "Keep an eye on her, then."

"You're seriously not coming with us?"

"Why should I? Ask Damon," he replied, a hint of a bitter tone in his voice.

Caroline pressed her lips together, repressing the urge to tell him to drop his feelings and help Elena as a friend. After all, it wasn't like Caroline was letting her anxiety over Tyler affect her support for other friends.

"She obviously wants to feed on the people at the mall. I'm second guessing this whole idea now," she said.

"Relax," Damon cut in as he stood up and stretched. "She won't feed on anyone if you're there."

"You're not coming either?" Caroline threw her hands in the air.

Damon shifted uncomfortably. "Ah, no. I have to check on Bonnie. Get the Silas thing in check, you know. Can't have him roaming around at the same time as the Devil," he said, referring to Klaus.

"Your nicknames are starting to get really old."

"Whatever, Barbie," Damon smirked. "Good luck to you on Elena." He left, leaving Caroline gaping openmouthed. Wasn't he supposed to love Elena? If Stefan didn't help her, shouldn't at least Damon try to get Elena through this?

"You suck," she murmured.

* * *

Stefan pulled up in front of the mall's entrance. "Have fun, guys," he said. To Caroline: "Call me if there's any trouble."

"Why can't you just come in?" she hissed. "I can't do this by myself."

Stefan pretended not to hear her as he looked into the mall's crowded parking lot.

"Oops, parking lot's full. Guess I can't stay. I'll pick you up at five?"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline slammed the car door and followed Elena inside.

* * *

It was almost three o'clock. Caroline and Elena had been pawing through colorful dresses and metallic shoes for two hours. Elena had been…awful. Although she fortunately had not once mentioned her hunger or… Jeremy, Caroline couldn't help feeling the empty void where Elena once was. This new Elena was blunt and easily bored. She had never once smiled since they had arrived at the mall, despite Caroline's repeated efforts at trying raise her enthusiasm.

Now, Caroline tried on a dark purple dress and modeled it in front of Elena. Elena stared at it from where she was sitting on a chair. "It's too tight on you. And the purple makes you look washed out." Then she examined a price tag.

"I want food," she suddenly said.

Caroline froze. "Elena," she said carefully. "You can't feed on any of the locals here."

Elena pursed her lips with a pensive look on her face. "I meant actual food. Can we go to the food court? I want a hamburger."

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, sure! Let's go right now." The false enthusiasm practically oozed from her voice, and she was pretty sure Elena could see through it too. She felt bad for finding this new Elena so unpleasant, but she couldn't help feeling extremely exasperated.

As the pair traveled downstairs to the food court, they passed by a small kiosk. On the very front page of every newspaper was a picture of the Gilbert house… and Jeremy's face. Caroline's eyes widened and ushered Elena forward so she wouldn't see it.

"Why are we hurrying?" Elena asked, pushing Caroline off of her.

Caroline's eyes quickly darted to the newspapers and back. Elena caught the glance and turned to look at it. There was no expression on her face as she walked over to read the page.

**Devastating Fire Kills High School Junior**

The headline seemed to jump out like a slap in the face to Caroline. She inwardly cringed at herself for slipping up. She looked up to see Elena looking at her.

"One copy please," Elena told the clerk. She grabbed the paper and turned to leave.

"Hey, you have to pay!" the man shouted.

She whirled around. Looking him in the eye, her pupil dilated as she compelled him.

"You will give me the paper for free. You will forget this conversation ever happened."

The man nodded, then gave her a confused look. Elena handed the paper to Caroline.

Caroline, who was already gaping, widened her eyes even more. "What is this, Elena?"

"The paper. You wanted it, didn't you? I could see it on your face," she replied simply.

"No, Elena, I did not _want_ it. I was just worried that—"

"That what? That I would snap again? You're not my mother, Caroline. Stop acting like I'm some insolent child. I know you only took me out here to babysit me. I'm sick of it."

Caroline had enough. "I may not be your mother, but you sure as hell need someone to watch out for you. And since your two lovers refuse to be helpful, you're stuck with me."

Elena ignored Caroline's jab at the "lovers." "Why do I need someone to watch out for me?" she asked.

"Because! Your humanity's off, and if someone doesn't look out for you, you're going to go on a happy homicidal killing spree."

"When have I ever hurt someone intentionally in my life?"

"Didn't you help kill Kol?" Caroline asked.

Elena looked taken aback for a second, then scoffed. "Have you been around Klaus too much? Now you're blaming me for the death of a vampire who did nothing _but_ kill."

"He didn't hurt any of us," Caroline replied, sighing. She had no idea what she was doing. Why was she having an argument with her best friend, who had just lost someone so important, and taking the side of the sworn enemy?

Elena shrugged. "Well we needed him for the cure. Think of him as a sacrifice for the greater good."

Every bone in Caroline's body went cold. Had this always been how Elena was like, and Caroline just hadn't noticed it? She prayed that this was just her humanity off.

"Funny, you didn't mention how Jeremy was just a sacrifice for the greater good," she almost said. She practically slapped herself for having such a thought.

Instead, Caroline took a deep breath and tried to start over. She would do this for her friend's sake, no matter how badly Caroline wanted to shoot herself in the heart.

"Okay, Elena. Let's just get some food."

Elena nodded and the two continued towards the food court.

All around them were the heightened noises of chairs scraping against the floor and people shouting food orders. Little kids ran around where Caroline had chose their seats. Not willing to lose the last seat there was, she reluctantly told Elena to stay there while she went to go order their food.

"Anything particular you want?" Caroline asked.

Elena shrugged. "I really don't care."

Casting Elena one more concerned look, Caroline took her purse and headed off to a nearby Burger King. She ordered their food, paid, and returned to their table within three minutes.

"Okay, so I bought us some fries, I hope you don't—"

Elena was gone.

Caroline stood there for a moment, just blinking. For the third time, she had to remind herself that she was doing this for her friend and other civilians. She wouldn't let any more innocent lives be lost, and she certainly wasn't about to let Elena start a body count.

After prowling around the entire mall frantically, Caroline reluctantly reached towards her phone. She continued to look around anxiously as the line connected her to Stefan.

He picked up on the first ring. "What's wrong?" he asked instantly.

"Elena's gone," Caroline replied. "I… lost her."

The other end was silent for a moment. Damon's voice suddenly appeared as a snarl.

"What do you mean you _lost_ her?"

"I left her to get some food, and then—"

"Spare us the details. We're coming over right now. Stay where you are." He hung up on her.

Caroline felt hollow inside. This day was a disaster; up to the point when she believed that the happiest she'd felt all day was when she was joking with Klaus, or admiring his paintings, or listening to his fascinating stories on the world. She sat down on a bench, burying her face in her hands. She didn't know how long she stayed like that until two pairs of black boots appeared before her.

She glanced up. Damon glowered at her, while Stefan gave her a disappointed look.

"I already looked over the entire mall," she said.

"How could you have just lost her?!" Damon exploded.

Caroline narrowed her eyes. Last year, she would've cowered in fear, but she wasn't scared of Damon now.

"If I remember correctly, I specifically told the both of you that I could not handle this alone. Neither of you wanted to come help me."

"We believed in you, Caroline," Stefan said quietly.

"And you let us down," Damon stated. "You let _Elena_ down."

"Oh save your stupidity, Damon," Caroline spat. "You and I both know that you didn't come because you're afraid of who she has become. You were afraid of facing her when she lost Jeremy and you're even more afraid now that her humanity's off. You're just scared that—"

Damon reached out to snap her neck, but Caroline saw it coming and dodged it.

"That's enough," Stefan said, grabbing his brother.

Caroline took a shaky breath.

"He's right," she said weakly. "We need to find Elena right now." She was tired. So, so tired.

"You're not coming," Damon said flatly.

"What? Why?"

"Because you've proved useless. You're weak. Just go home and try not to get yourself killed. That'll be one more body to deal with."

Caroline turned to Stefan with pleading eyes. "Stefan!"

He gave her an apologetic look and shook his head.

Feeling hot, burning tears behind her eyes, Caroline whirled around and vampire speeded away.

The same old trees whirled past her. They were nothing but thorns to her. She was surrounded by thorns.

_Mystic Falls. _

Friends. What friends? Innocent young faces from her past were all they were. None of them cared about Caroline. None of them had even asked her how _she_ was.

_So exhausted. So tired of all of this. _

The air was suffocating, pressing down on her lungs so that she was unable to breathe. She shouted as loud as she could as she ran, but there was no reply.

Of course there wasn't. No matter how much she talked, no one ever really heard Caroline Forbes.

_Take me away. _

It wasn't until she was on her block, in her house, and buried in a blanket on her bed before she started to cry.

* * *

Caroline woke up to the sound of a knock against her door. She looked outside her window and saw that the sun was almost finished setting. The sky had turned a darker shade of blue.

She didn't want to see who it was. It was most likely Damon or Stefan, and she didn't want to see either of them right now. It was the thought that either of them would have probably called instead of coming over that propelled her to get up. In her heart, she harbored the secret hope that it was Tyler.

Caroline rubbed her bleary eyes and slowly walked over to get the door. She peeked through the glass window first. There was nobody—just a large, flat box.

Groaning in exasperation, Caroline flung the door open and picked it up. She squinted at the nearby bushes.

"Klaus, I know you're still here," she called. "And I'm not in the mood." She winced at her stuffy voice.

There was a rustle in the bushes, confirming Caroline's suspicions. He definitely wouldn't leave until she opened it. But Caroline didn't feel like playing his games. She picked up the box and slammed the door closed.

She set it on the kitchen table. Looked at it for a long moment.

Despite everything, curiosity got the best of her. She tore off the soft yellow paper and lifted the lid to reveal… a painting.

It was Caroline, her blonde hair slightly wild from a breeze. She wore a simple floral dress and had her hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes were crinkled happily; pretty, curved lips twitched in a mysterious smile.

She was standing on a beautiful golden beach that she had never seen before, and behind her…

Behind her was the clearest, bluest ocean water she had ever seen.

Klaus had painted her in his favorite place in the world.

Caroline pawed through the wrapping paper and turned the box upside down. Sure enough, a folded card fell into her lap. She turned it over.

_One day. _

_- Klaus_

Caroline rolled her eyes and smiled. She gave the gorgeous painting another look. Shaking her head, she bounded up from her seat and threw open the door again. She was just in time to see Klaus materialize from behind the bushes and brush himself off.

He looked startled to see her at first, then a slow smirk appeared on his face.

Caroline regarded him seriously, and spoke with an imperious tone.

"No mind games, no maiming me with a lamp, and no going through my underwear drawer. And I'm not giving you any information on my friends. Got it?"

Klaus's grin grew even broader, revealing his dimples. Caroline couldn't help smiling back this time.

"Understood," he said. He walked up the porch and stepped inside.

* * *

Caroline felt him step next to her as she poured two glasses of orange juice.

"Remind me again why we're having orange juice, of all things?"

"Because I said so."

"Caroline, I know you have a whole cabinet of alcohol."

She stopped pouring and looked at him. "I don't want any alcohol, okay?"

Klaus put his hands up in surrender. "Whatever you say, sweetheart." He looked at her serious expression and dropped his smirk.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a softer voice.

"Why do you assume that something is wrong?"

"Because I know you."

Caroline thought about this for a moment. "Do you? Do you really, Klaus? Because you say a lot of things about knowing how I feel and what I believe, but we don't know each other well at all."

Klaus shrugged. "That is only half true. You hardly know me in the least, where I know you better than you know yourself."

She laughed humorlessly. "No one knows me. Even I don't know me."

"What do you mean, no one knows you? Haven't you grown up with Elena all your life?"

"Yeah. But everything before vampire life was… different. Normal. It's so much easier to know someone when they don't have this whole lake of darkness inside of them. Once you become immortal, it's like… I don't know. It's like you've lost this part of yourself, and no one really knows you anymore."

Klaus had been listening patiently. He leaned in closer to look into her bright blue eyes. Instead of agreeing with her or offering her meaningless condolences, he said softly:

"I know you. I know that most people see you as this shallow, plastic girl who hovers around bossing people around. I know that your friends see you as the person they can always turn to in times of need, but somehow manage to neglect the fact that you need things too. I know that one of these days, you are going to be sick and tired of this town and all its tragedies. You are going to be exhausted of the same old dances and the same old parties. You are going to be exasperated with your so-called friends constantly taking and never giving. You are going to want out of Mystic Falls, and see whatever the world out there has to offer. _Mark my words, Caroline._"

He pulled away. He had said too much for one night, and she needed time to think. He smiled at her thoughtful gaze on him and downed his orange juice.

"I also know that if and when I find Tyler, you are going to despise me and think every word I had ever said to you was a lie. But if it's one thing, I have never lied to you. No matter what may happen, just keep in mind that you are welcome anytime to show up at my door, and I'll take you anywhere you want." Klaus went to walk away, but seemed to change his mind about something just as he was about to leave and turned around.

He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. His breath was warm on her skin; she could feel his light stubble tickling every one of her nerves. Caroline froze, then fluttered her eyes shut.

When she opened them, he was gone.

* * *

**All right, hope you liked that :) Expect the next chapter after this week, what with Hell Week at school and all. And track, don't even get me started on track :( **

**see you next week xoxo - remember to review!**


	6. Chapter 6: All For You

**A/N- Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks so much for the reviews so far. I'm excited to see where this story is going, and I hope you guys like this chapter!**

* * *

Madison, New Jersey

Klaus pulled into the library parking lot, where his source told him the girl would be. The vampire girl—Kasia Cantor. His informant had seen her meet with Tyler Lockwood twice already in the past three days.

The source had not been able to follow Tyler after the meetings with Kasia. Tyler went to great lengths in taking a series of buses and trains to avoid being followed. Klaus felt a wave of triumph at the thought of his paranoia, the predatory smirk appearing on his face. While Tyler had been careful, Kasia evidently was not as cautious and Klaus's lackey had stalked her and pulled all her information up in a matter of hours.

Now, Klaus sat in the driver's seat of his car and pulled out her picture. Straight dark red hair and thick eyelashes. She might have been pretty if her face wasn't so serious. Nevertheless, Klaus wouldn't have found her attractive anyway. He tended to go for blondes.

Getting out of the car, Klaus examined his surroundings. It was almost completely night time and the library would be closing, but a few families were still lingering around the front steps. There were too many witnesses in case Klaus had to use more… conventional methods of getting information out of this Kasia girl.

His pocket rang and Klaus inwardly groaned as he slid his sleek black phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked roughly.

"It's me," his source replied from the other end.

"What is it? I'm about to go meet her."

"Yeah, it's about that. Look, when I first saw her, I noticed something a little off about her. She smelled of vervain. And when I broke into her apartment again just now—"

"What do you mean you broke into her apartment again?"

"I thought I saw some vervain the first time I went. And just now, I checked again and I was right. The girl has _jars_ of it. She can't be compelled, Klaus."

His lips tightened. "Very well then. Thank you. You are free to go now, your servitude is finished."

Jamming the phone inside his pocket again, Klaus pondered his options. Any girl who kept vervain around wasn't stupid. But Klaus was smarter, and quite a good actor to boot. He smiled as an idea lit up in his head. It would cruel, yes, but what was Klaus if not cunning?

He suddenly thought of the pretty blonde vampire that he had left behind just hours ago. What would Caroline have thought of his plan, had she been here? She wouldn't approve, certainly. Klaus pushed her away from his mind, angry that the girl had infiltrated his thoughts once again. What he felt for her—it was not good. Not good for any vampire and certainly not good for him.

Words from centuries ago echoed in Klaus's mind.

_Love is a vampire's greatest weakness. And we are not weak. We do not feel, and we do not care. _

He did not care. Of course he didn't. Tyler had double crossed him, again and again. And Klaus did not tolerate anyone who betrayed him. No baby vampire would stop him.

Almost crazily, Klaus stalked towards the library's open doors before realizing how dangerous and untrustworthy he looked. Calming himself, he took off his suspicious black coat and smoothed his Henleys shirt to look as innocent as his image would allow. Checking his reflection in the glass doors of the library, he crossed the doorway and into the world of books.

The familiar smell of mustiness and old pages hit his sharp nose, not unpleasantly so. The front doors had led up to a large, spacious room with high ceilings and fluorescent lights. Bookshelves shot upwards all around him and there were many piles of books stacked up on the haphazardly strewn desks around the room. It wasn't very organized, for a library.

It was at one the back section tables where he found her. Her red hair was piled in a bun on top of her head and fastened with pencils. She was chewing a green-painted nail while flipping through what looked to be a history book. On the floor beside her, a stack of books were balanced precariously, looking as if they were about to topple over. Perfect.

Picking up a book from a nearby shelf, Klaus strode over towards Kasia while pretending to have his nose buried in it. He "accidentally" lurched forward and sent the stack of books on the floor tumbling down, startling Kasia up and out of her seat with vampire speed.

When she'd realized what she did, she froze. Slowly walking towards Klaus, she looked him in the eye and was evidently about to compel him. Well, try to compel him anyway.

Klaus broke into a friendly grin. "Don't worry. I'm no saintly human myself," he said in his American accent.

Kasia visibly relaxed. "Oh, thank God." She turned and began piling the books up again. Klaus reached down to pick one up for her.

"So, you're a vampire if I'm not mistaken," he spoke conversationally.

"Yeah." She stood up, squinting at him. "I… can't tell what you are." She looked at him curiously.

"Have you heard of a _hybrid_?" he asked with a mischievous glint to his eye.

Kasia's green eyes widened. "You're a hybrid? I have a friend who's—" she paushed abruptly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Klaus smiled inwardly. This was where the true acting began. He narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean you know someone who's a hybrid? That's what you were about to say, wasn't it? It's not possible, there are only so many of us… no it's not possible." He broke off, shaking his head.

"What's not possible?"

"Look, my brother is a hybrid. He's been missing for the past few days, and we're going crazy looking for him. Our name is Lockwood. I'm Nick Lockwood. Have you heard of Tyler?"

Kasia's look of utter confusion broke into a grin. "Yes! Yes, I was just speaking to Ty! Don't worry, he's fine and he's safe and unhurt. Oh, this is such a coincidence."

"Can you tell me where he is?" Klaus asked with some urgency now.

Her smile disappeared. "Ah, I… can't. See, the thing is, he's running from someone. Somebody very old and dangerous and he can't risk anyone knowing his location."

Klaus was losing his temper. "So why did he tell you?" he snapped, not realizing until it was too late that he'd lost his accent.

Just as he expected, Kasia's eyes narrowed. "You know, this is too much of a coincidence. How can I be sure you're telling the truth?"

He rolled his eyes, his patience officially wearing out. "Oh for goodness sake." He reached out with a speed that she'd never seen coming—and snapped her neck.

By the time he'd dragged her limp body towards the front doors, only a single librarian remained in the building. It took only a single "You never saw or heard any of this," to compel her back to doing her work as Klaus pulled Kasia into a nearby alley. It was ideal—in a narrow space between two warehouses, and absolutely deserted. He dropped her and leaned against a wall, waiting for her to regain consciousness.

* * *

_RING RING_

Caroline almost poked her eyeball with a mascara wand when the loud ringing of her phone startled her. Blinking in annoyance, she grabbed the phone from next to her.

Stefan Salvatore.

Groaning, she stared at the caller ID for a few seconds before flipping the phone over. If he cared enough, he would actually pay a visit. _Like Klaus_, a voice in the back of her mind said. She pushed him out of her thoughts in frustration, but not before casting a quick glance at where the painting now resided against the wall. She huffed and reached to pick her mascara wand up again.

The dial tone beeped and Caroline heard the line crackle on voicemail.

"Hey, Care. Look, I know you're not picking up your phone and I'm really sorry about yesterday. I don't think whatever happened with Elena is your fault. I don't know what I was thinking when I blamed you for losing her. I mean, we should have watched over her with you after all." Stefan cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"The good news is we found her last night. Sorry, again, I know I should've called right away. We sort of have her sedated at the moment so if you're willing to come over again and help us find a solution to all of this… I'd really like it. Thanks."

There was clicking noise, then the line went dead. Caroline pursed her lips and tossed her phone onto her bed, wondering what her next action should be.

Her eyes drifted to a photograph on her vanity table—of her, Bonnie, and Elena, all laughing and living a normal and human life. She did not care for who she used to be, but she still cared about her friends. Once again, Caroline thought of Klaus. How lonely he was now, and how terrible he had become. How there was nothing left from his human life to keep him centered in his vampire life. And Caroline decided that she didn't want to be like him.

If there was one thing she was, it was loyal. Loyal, and caring, and a good friend. She would do this for Elena, her best friend.

Sighing, she walked over to plunk herself on her bed and sent a text message to Stefan saying she was coming. Biting her lip, she then sent another message to Bonnie.

_How are you? _She wrote.

The reply came back in two minutes.

_I'm hanging on. A lot of confusing things lately._

_It's okay. I'll be there in ten :) xoxo_

Closing her phone, Caroline sat back in front of her mirror to finish her makeup. She had a long day of reparations ahead of her.

* * *

"What did you do to me?" Kasia's shaky voice rang out in the alley.

"I think the question is, what are you doing with Tyler Lockwood?" Klaus's British drawl echoed softly.

"You're—you're Klaus."

"Wonderful, so you've heard of me already. That leaves me to conclude that you've heard of my capabilities, which makes things so much easier for the two of us." He gave her a dimpled smile and crouched next to her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "So I won't have to demonstrate how very violent I can become when someone refuses to… cooperate."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not telling you anything."

"But you are, my dear Kasia. I could compel you." His eyes crinkled as he smiled, working out a strategy in his mind already. He could almost hear the gears sliding into place as Kasia processed this. He knew she would play it off as if she could be compelled.

"Please don't," her voice was weak. He just continued to grin. She was a good actress—almost as good as him.

Klaus leaned over her to look her in the eyes, his pupils dilating as he "compelled" her.

"Tell me. Is he in New Jersey?"

Kasia opened her mouth, clearly stalling as she formulated a plan.

"No," she said, her eyes darting around nervously. Her heartbeat quickened. She was lying.

Klaus was about to ask his next question when he heard a group of teenagers—stinking of cheap alcohol even from this distance—pass the alley. He would have to get an answer quick then, before someone discovered them. He grabbed the girl by her collar and shoved her roughly.

"Listen," he growled. "I'm done with the games. I know you're on vervain and can't be compelled. You just confirmed that he is in fact still in New Jersey by your foolish attempt at outwitting me. I can make this easy or I can make this hard. Tell me now. Where. Is. He?" He shoved her with each of the final syllables.

Kasia looked terrified at this point. Her eyes darted again, this time for an opening or way to escape.

"Don't try it, sweetheart. You'll never be able to outrun me."

Her glare swiveled onto him. He just gave a cruel smile.

"It's that simple. Tell me the truth, or you die a slow and painful death. If you serve me well, I guarantee you it'll be fast. I mean, after your little stunt just there, there's no way you would've thought that I'd let you live?"

Kasia's luminous eyes filled with tears. With a final sigh, she sat down.

"He's in Montclair," Kasia said, burying her face in her hands. "Just do it fast, okay? Just kill me fast so I won't feel it." she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

Klaus just stood there for a second, processing his situation and the information now given to him. He honestly had not thought that it would have been this simple. Of course, he was now going to kill the girl. That was his plan all along. He was going to kill Tyler's friend, and then send him her heart as a warning. To send him running in paranoia, just to be tracked all over again until Klaus finally ended his life.

In the distance, the teenagers were still calling and shouting to each other.

"Hey Carol! Stop dawdling and hurry up so I can get home by curfew!" one of them yelled.

Carol. Carol Lockwood, who he'd also killed out of vengeance for Tyler.

Carol. Carol_ine_. What was she doing back home? She was probably still trying to help her friends, no matter how bent over little Elena Gilbert they were. No matter how much they still neglected her. No matter how lonely she was.

Then he thought of how she would think of him now. If she were here, knowing that on his hunt for her boyfriend, Klaus would end the lives of others as well. Collateral damage, he called it.

She would be disgusted. She would rip his painting like he would rip Kasia Cantor's heart out.

At his feet, Kasia whimpered. "Just do it already," she whispered.

Klaus squinted at her, sighing.

"Go," he said at last.

The girl picked her head up and her eyes widened. She looked at him incredulously.

"Really?" she asked. "You—you're not just telling me this so you'd rip my heart out later are you?"

"If you make me regret it…" he warned.

"I won't!" her answer could not have come faster.

She stood up to walk away, dusting herself off.

"Kasia," Klaus called. Before he could stop himself, he added: "Give Tyler Lockwood a message for me. Tell him that he is free. He is free from me, and he can come back to Mystic Falls."

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"Would you rather I changed my mind?"

"No! But—what changed your mind in the first place?"

Klaus looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Tell him, a girl named Caroline Forbes."

* * *

Caroline rang the doorbell to Bonnie's house, a large pink box of cookies tucked under her arm.

"Good morning!" she called cheerily when the Mayor, Bonnie's dad, answered the door.

"Caroline," he smiled. "Is Bonnie expecting you? Come inside."

Bonnie's footsteps echoed the hall. "Are those cookies I smell?" she called.

"Sure are," Caroline replied brightly. "Hey Bonnie, how are you holding up?" she sighed as the girls embraced each other. "I'm really sorry I didn't come check on you yesterday, it's just all this shit with Elena's humanity and I just forgot. You forgive me?" she murmured into her black hair.

They broke apart. "Not unless you give me all your cookies!" Bonnie replied jokingly.

"Okay, well I'm going down to the station to straighten something out," the Mayor said from behind her as he looked up from his phone. "Are you girls going to stay here? You're more than welcome to stay, Caroline, if you want."

"Sure, that'd be great," she said at the same time Bonnie asked, "Why, what happened?"

"Apparently a dead body has just been found on the border of town. A middle-aged hiker, from the next town, completely drained of blood. I think you girls know what that means," he shifted uncomfortably.

Bonnie looked appalled. "If it's from the next town… then that has to mean it was a vampire from Mystic Falls. Our entire population's water supply is full of vervain. Whoever it was must have been from here, and desperate for fresh blood."

"That's right," her father confirmed. "Would you happen to know anything about it?"

Caroline stared at her feet, guilt gnawing on her insides. As much as she wanted to tell him, she knew she couldn't turn in her friend. She felt as if she needed to find a solution on her own, without incorporating more humans who didn't know the first thing about this new Elena.

As soon as the Mayor left, Caroline turned to Bonnie.

"Okay, I think I know who did it," she said, explaining to her what had happened to Elena the day before.

When she was finished, the Bonnie wore a mask of horror.

"You're telling me _Elena_ did this?" she hissed. "Her of all people?"

"Yes! It's the only explanation. I didn't do it, Stefan didn't, and as much as I'd like to believe otherwise, I know Damon didn't do it. And Klaus," she said, blinking away, "he didn't do it either."

Bonnie sighed. "Okay, you said Stefan told you they found Elena? Let's go to them right now, and hopefully they'll clear things up for us. Maybe we can even reason with her."

"No, don't you get it? There is no reasoning with her, Bonnie! She just doesn't care. We need to find a way to help her without turning her switch back on. We only try to do that as a last resort. Grab your coat," she said.

As they headed to the car, Caroline turned around and pointed a finger at Bonnie.

"And don't even think that this lets you off the hook for telling me what's been going on with you and your magic lately. What about Professor Creep? Where is he now?"

Bonnie sighed. "Shouldn't we wait until we get Damon and Stefan with us too?"

Caroline's eyes tightened at his name. Damon.

"Yeah, whatever," she said, pulling her keys out of her purse. "I'll drive."

* * *

As they pulled up to the Salvatore mansion, Caroline's phone began to ring. Bonnie looked at her questioningly. Without pulling it out of her bag, Caroline just scoffed.

"Probably Stefan again calling me to rush. Well, we're here now." They got out of the car and knocked the door. Stefan answered it.

"Hey, Care. And Bonnie, I didn't know you were coming. But that's good news, I guess. We could use a few more minds to formulate a plan on how to bring Elena back."

Her phone kept ringing.

"Jesus," she muttered and wrestled her purse to find it. It was an unknown number. She froze, not daring to hope.

"Hello?" she answered tentatively, not daring to hope and not caring that both Stefan and Bonnie were staring at her curiously.

"Caroline," the familiar voice breathed. "It's me."

"Oh my god. Tyler?! It's you! I can't believe it's you, I never thought I'd hear your voice—"

"You won't believe this!" he interrupted. "But Klaus actually let me go!"

Caroline suddenly grew eerily calm. This was beginning to sound insane.

"What do you mean, he let you go? That's not possible, he just told me he was going to kill you."

"Wait, you talked to him?"

"No! Don't take this the wrong way! I am so happy for you, but are you sure?" Caroline could barely breathe, waiting for his response. Distantly, she realized her friends were still looking at her and she shooed them away. She herself stepped off the porch and into the woods.

"Well, that's the thing," Tyler lamented. "I'm not. I got a message from one of my friends just now. She said that Klaus captured her and got information on where I was out of her. He was honestly about to kill her, then… he let her go. He told her to tell me that he let me go too. It seems really far-fetched and unlike him. I don't want to get my hopes too high, so can you please check for me? Just… ask him I guess."

"Oh," Caroline said softly. "Oh, of course. Oh my god, Tyler, I've missed you so much! I know you probably dumped your phone somewhere but I've left you, like, a thousand voicemails. Do you honestly think he was sincere though? Do you really think Klaus let you go?" she could barely stop the hope from spilling over in her voice.

Tyler sighed from the other end. "I don't know. I wouldn't have believed it, if my friend hadn't told me something else."

"What?"

"Klaus told her to tell me…that it was because of you, Caroline."

_Because of you, Caroline._

_It was all for you._

Klaus had said those words not even a week ago. Could it be true—could Klaus had honestly done this for her sake? She almost didn't allow herself to believe it.

"I'm going to go find him right now, Tyler," she said, determined. "I'll call you back when I find out."

"You can't reach me on this number. How long do you need, the rest of the day? I'll call you back tonight."

"Okay," she said, almost shyly. "I love you." She hung up.

Barely able to keep the smile off her face, she turned and literally zipped up the porch and into the house.

Stefan and Damon were waiting for her.

"Look," she said carefully. "I sort of have to go right now. It's urgent. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Was that Tyler?" Stefan asked. She nodded.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked, a glass of wine in his hand.

"I need to talk to Klaus about something," Caroline replied sheepishly.

Damon and Stefan exchanged a look.

"Too bad, then Blondie. Elena's your friend, Klaus is not. We've been waiting all day. Just help us find a way to keep her down and you can go," Damon said.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. "You seem to be doing a pretty good job of it already. And besides, don't my plans always mess up? Figure it out yourself." She turned and walked away.

"Wait, Care!" Stefan called. "Hey, I'm sorry about Damon. You can go. Just… please come back soon so we can figure something out, okay? We're really worried about Elena and I know you are too. I haven't even told you what she did last night when we found her…"

"Then tell Bonnie! I really don't care, Stefan! And I don't need your approval to leave." Turning to Bonnie's aghast expression, she gave an apologetic look and sighed shakily.

"Sorry. That was mean, and I didn't mean it when I said I didn't care. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? Maybe we can find a way to end this thing with Silas along with Elena's problem. But I really need to settle this first."

This time when Caroline turned to leave, she didn't stop until she reached the front door of the Mikaelson mansion.

"Well, love," Klaus said as he opened the door. "I seem to have a strong sense of déjà vu."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I know that from this chapter, it's a little like I tried to turn Klaus into Damon with the whole "becoming better" and "sacrifice" thing. Don't worry ;) You'll soon see, it's nothing like that. After all, Caroline can't change Klaus without him changing her too, right?**

**Please review and let me know what you liked, what needs work, etc. ! xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7: A Little Bit of Darkness

**A/N- Hey everyone! I just wanted to start off this chapter by saying that **

**a) It's much longer than what I've written before, and I think my next chapters are going to stay around this length as well. **

**b) We're going to see deep into both Klaus and Caroline's minds here.**

**b) I really really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it ;) xoxo**

* * *

They sat across from each other on opposite sides of a coffee table, just like they had the day before. Unlike yesterday, however, Klaus was unsmiling. Caroline fidgeted nervously as he poured a glass of wine for himself after she had graciously declined.

He set the bottle down with a clink. Brought the glass to his lips. She tried not to look at the graceful curve of his mouth—not bring back memories of their gentle touch on her forehead the other day.

She cleared her throat.

"So," she started awkwardly, not sure how to begin. Should she just jump to the point? After all, Stefan and Bonnie were waiting for her to return as soon as possible.

Klaus swallowed and put his drink down. The tension in the room was like an invisible net around them, drawing all the air out of the room. Caroline suddenly felt the need to go out and get some air. Her gaze fell on him again, her mouth still open with no words coming out.

"Tell me, Caroline. Why are you here?"

She let out a breath, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice and speak calmly.

"I was curious. Tyler called me and said you let him go. I want to know if that's valid," she replied plaintively.

He sighed, standing up abruptly and pacing to the window. Caroline noted that since he'd let her into the house, he hadn't once looked at her. She felt the hope begin to drain out of her. Then he spoke, in such a soft and quiet voice that she had to strain to hear, even with her vampire ears.

"It's true. He can come back if he wishes, with no fear from me nor any of my minions."

Caroline looked at him with wide eyes. "Why, Klaus?"

When he didn't reply, she stood up and walked right up to him, forcing him to look at her.

"Was it for me?" she asked softly.

She could see his eyes tighten, just like his fists that were now wound up in balls by his sides. He looked dangerous—dangerous and absolutely terrified.

Caroline grabbed his wrists. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

Klaus tore his hands away at her touch and was at the other side of the room in less than a millisecond. She gave him a shocked look as he began punching the furniture beside him.

"Klaus, what are you doing? What's wrong? Just tell me!" she yelled.

"I don't care," he growled back, still ripping a wooden chair into shreds. "I don't care about any of this!" His voice was now at an almost animalistic shout.

"What are you talking about?!"

He zipped in front of her and looked into her eyes, pointing at himself.

"I don't—I don't _feel_. No pity, no forgiveness, _no mercy_! You know very well exactly who I am. This is me!" he jabbed his finger towards the wreck of furniture he'd created. Caroline flinched back.

His face softened. "I don't let people go, Caroline. And yet I did it for you anyway. You said 'anybody capable of love, is capable of being saved.' But what if I don't want to be saved?" he laughed humorlessly. "I'm invincible, aren't I? I can get anything I want. I don't have to have compassion."

Caroline was simply stunned out of words to say, for once. She could feel his expectant gaze on her, imploring her to say something. What could she say? He wasn't wrong. He could've killed Tyler, or tortured him for the next century. He had nothing to lose.

Except her.

"Me." She stated in a whisper.

"What?"

"You said you did it for me." _And in doing so, you changed my mind about you. You're not the evil I thought you were. _The words almost came out. Caroline shook her head violently, trying to clear them out. They weren't true. Not after everything he had done to all of her friends.

And yet, maybe he wasn't as bad as she'd once thought.

Her mind raced, her thoughts jumbled all together. Her morals conflicted with what was clearly right in front of her, the fact that Klaus did something good for the sake of Caroline. As her feelings clashed, her control-freak nature exploded. She wanted order. Order and organization and what was right. And Klaus just wasn't right.

"_Caroline_." Klaus's impatient voice reached her ears. Distantly, she realized that he'd been calling for her attention a couple of times.

"Ugh I don't know!" she burst out.

Seeing Klaus's eyes widen with hurt, she calmed down. Caroline self-consciously tucked a blonde strand behind her ear.

"I just… don't know," she said finally. Licking her lips, she attempted to regain control of her situation.

"Look, I appreciate what you're doing. I know that you're trying to change for the better. For me. But at the same time, you're just so… _you_."

"Me?" he echoed.

"You know what I mean! You're horrible and you do horrible—" she immediately broke off and put a hand on her mouth, realizing what she'd said. But it was too late. The little window glimpse she'd gotten of Klaus had slammed its shutters. He glared down at her.

"No, you're right Caroline. Do go on. List yourself the long list of horrors I'd inflicted on the lives of all your little heroes. You know, the ones who repeatedly use you like a loyal dog and then push you aside for Elena Gilbert, the little vampire who couldn't."

"Okay, you don't know a thing about them," she replied hotly.

"Touchy spot I see." They were standing chest to chest now, both breathing heavily. His lips were curled into a sneer. He bent his head down so that they were very close—too close for Caroline's comfort. She couldn't think with him so near.

"I may not know things about them, but I do know a thing or two about you, sweetheart. And the absolute truth of the matter, however you play it down, is that you are _just like me_." He started chuckling, though Caroline couldn't find what was so funny for the life of her.

"I'm no Damon, love. I'm horrible, remember? I'm no sacrificial lovesick bunny, willing to do anything for the girl he loves. In fact, it's because I'm so horrible, that I take back my statement of letting your pathetic little boyfriend go free. I will hunt him, Caroline. Thank you for reminding me of my true nature."

She looked at him, aghast. What had she just done?

"It's not my fault!" she yelled. Mentally, she told herself to retreat, to back down. But she surged on. "I had to let you know the truth. You _are_ awful, so terrible that you used your hurt feelings as a sword to lash out at me once again."

Klaus looked mildly surprised for a second, then regained his composure with a calm smile.

"I know that just now, you were confused and conflicted by what I'd told you. I know that inside of you, you are attracted to me and you just won't admit it, and that's exactly what's causing _you_ to lash out. I repeat, you are just like me."

This shocked Caroline enough into a stunned silence for a few moments.

"I'm nothing like you," she hissed. "I don't threaten people out of town and sentence them to a lifetime of fear and magically let them go, just to raise their hopes so you can crush them all over again."

Then she turned on her heel and vampire speeded herself out of the room, towards the door, and away from Klaus.

Klaus looked after her with a strange expression, not knowing what had just happened or what he had done. _Stupid, stupid_, he told himself. What the hell was he doing these days? Letting his lead on his enemy's whereabouts go for a girl, only to have her slam it back in his face?

That was weak. Love was weak. He would never, ever do it again. He let out a roar and suddenly felt the urge to hunt. He would hunt Tyler, and relish Caroline's pained reaction.

"Don't." A familiar voice rang out behind him. Klaus turned reluctantly to face her.

"Rebekah. What are you doing here?" _And how long have you been standing there?_

"Not witnessing your fail at love, that's for sure. At least, not intentionally." She peeled herself from against the wall, where she had been leaning for no doubt the past five minutes. "Don't go after Tyler. She'll never forgive you."

Klaus turned his face away. "I don't love her."

"Maybe not. But you're _in love_ with her. There's a difference."

He smirked, waving her off. "Please, sister. Judging by your continuous failed attempts at puppy dog love, I wouldn't be talking about this."

Rebekah went to stand in front of him, scrutinizing him.

"I don't think you know the meaning of love anymore, Niklaus."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that little conversation with Caroline. I think you're in love with her, but you haven't the slightest idea what to do."

"And I think you're delusional. Have I kept you in that box for too long this time? I'll keep that in mind for next time."

Rebekah, who normally would've stormed out, did not bat an eyelash.

"You know I'm right," she said triumphantly, leaning back and crossing her arms. "You're frustrated that she's gotten the best of you, so your desire for control causes you to hurt her. Just like you do to your family."

"Bekah, if you don't shut up, I will snap your neck." But his sister surged on as if she didn't hear him.

"I don't like Caroline personally, but I agree with her about one thing. One of these days, your anger is going to consume you and you'll lose every single person who once cared about you. You'll be what you're most afraid of in the world—alone."

"Shut up!"

"But you're my big brother. I came here to give you hell about everything that you've done to our family, but upon seeing your predicament with Caroline, I changed my mind."

Rebekah put her hands on his shoulders and looked at him with bright blue eyes.

"You were going to let Tyler go," she said softly. "Then she ruined it all and you went back to being your angry self again, but I still saw it. For a moment, I saw it. Your humanity. It's there." She pointed to her brother's heart.

Klaus was breathing heavily again, not knowing what was happening to him. His feelings were a swirl between rage and an infinitely more dangerous kind of hope.

Rebekah took a step back, and spoke in a strangely cheery voice. "So I'm going to build from that. I'm giving you one more chance Nik, whether you want it or not. I'll bring my things. I'm moving back in the mansion." She headed towards the door.

Klaus broke out of his shock for a second to give his sister an incredulous look.

"Why are you doing this, Bekah? And what makes you think I want you around?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm just going to make one thing very clear to you right now. This by no means signifies that you are forgiven for all that you've done, both to me and to our siblings. But I want you to know what family means again. Now that Kol is dead…" her voice broke for a moment, a sad expression coming over her features. She shook her head. "We need each other more than ever. That's why I'm calling Elijah as well. We are going to be a family, and I don't care if you don't like it. You need it."

When she left, Klaus collapsed onto a sofa, wondering what had just happened to him. His eyes fell on the wreckage he'd created when he had broke apart his furniture. Ugly reminders of his falling out with Caroline, and how Klaus had come out terribly hurt by the curse known as love. He did not ever want to experience the misery of such human and mundane feelings. He was a vampire—strong and invincible and absolutely merciless.

The one thing he wanted at this point was reconciliation with his family. Now that all his hybrids were dead and there was no way to make more, he didn't want to be alone.

His siblings may have been fixed on Klaus's redemption, but he sure as hell wasn't going to make it easy for them. Not in the slightest.

* * *

"Caroline. Caroline, are you even listening?" Stefan's voice pierced her thoughts.

"Sorry. Could you please repeat that?" she asked in a stuffy voice. Her, Stefan, Damon, and Bonnie had been talking about what to do with Elena and Silas's plans for the past half hour.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline sniffled. _No, an evil villain just raised my hopes and crushed them._ "I just have a cold."

"So Silas was Professor Shane, or at least taking his form. And Bonnie's dad said 'a middle-aged hiker' was found dead at the border of town. It makes perfect sense that it would be the professor. Bonnie's dad didn't actually see his face, so it could very well be Shane. And he was dressed in hiking gear from the island, remember? Maybe Silas was done using his body and just dumped him somewhere on the edge of town. Carelessness, if you ask me," Damon said.

Stefan rubbed his eyes. "Do you think Silas has the ability to hijack other people's bodies, then?"

"Yeah, I figured he's pulling a Klaus. Isn't he a witch? Or is he a vampire now?"

Caroline flinched at Klaus's name. She noticed Bonnie's eyes grow concerned.

"When I spoke to Shane, or … Silas, whoever he was, he said he had a plan for something. Something that would require my powers," Bonnie said. "He didn't tell me what, though. All he said was that he would come back in another form." She sighed. "At least we know Elena wasn't the one who killed the man on the border." The Salvatores had cleared it up—they had found Elena while she was feeding on someone, but managed to get in her way before she killed her victim. Now she was asleep somewhere upstairs.

"So I need to perform an extremely powerful spell for him in order for him to get what he wants. He thinks I'm on his side, I told him I trusted him." She stood up and stretched.

"And do you?" Damon asked.

Bonnie gave him a shocked look. "Are you trying to be _funny_? I'm only doing this so I can get information on Silas for you guys."

They continued talking, but Caroline had zoned out of it. She was hyperaware of her cell phone balanced on her lap, just waiting to ring. When she picked it up, she would have to face the truth of what she'd done. That she had screwed it all up for Tyler because of her impulse.

She almost laughed. How she behaved and reacted—it was all very Klaus. Maybe she was just like him after all.

"Care, can I talk to you?" Bonnie asked softly, out of the blue. Caroline became aware that Elena was awake, and they were all heading upstairs to check on her now.

"Sure." She stood up and straightened her lacy tank top.

"Okay, what happened when you went to go see Klaus?"

"You sure you care?" she asked skeptically. Bonnie gave her a surprised look.

"Of course I do! I'm your best friend. Why would you even ask that?"

"Because…" Caroline broke off with a defeated sigh. Because Klaus had managed to make her believe that her friends no longer cared about her.

"You're right," she said. "I don't know why I even asked that. Of course you would listen. Okay, so—"

"Are you guys coming or not?" Damon's impatient voice interrupted.

"Sorry!" Bonnie called back, and started to head upstairs. She shot Caroline an apologetic look. "Later?" she mouthed.

Damon thumped down the stairs.

"What's taking so long?" he hissed. "We're going to need all four of us to calm Elena down. She's going to be pissed since we had to sedate her in order to make her come home with us. You guys are Elena's friends, aren't you? So come help a little."

Caroline pursed her lips, a hole gnawing in her stomach again. She was absolutely sick of it. Elena this, Elena that. _The little vampire who couldn't._

"No. You know what? Forget it. I'm sorry I can't always suit your needs, Damon, especially when you're the one who made her become like this in the first place. I can't help you with this one. You guys can figure it out on your own, because I can't always clean up your messes just to be given the blame when something goes wrong. Give me a call when my best friend's back to normal. Until then, just... leave me alone."

She was going to storm out of the house, until she realized that she'd already given about eight dramatic exits in the past two days. She was tired of it all. Even worse, there was a gaping guilt cracking open inside of her. She was being the worst possible friend at the moment, and all because Klaus had implanted the idea in her head that she deserved better.

Caroline just wanted Tyler to call her so she could ask him where he went, and then perhaps she would go with him this time. Maybe it was a good thing, that Klaus had driven him away. Tyler and Caroline could run away into the sunset and forget about everything. The idea cheered her up enough to give her the ability run back to her house. She couldn't drive back—she had forgotten her car keys all the way back at the Mikaelson mansion.

It was dark outside. As she neared her block, she felt a faint rustle in the bushes. It gave her a creeping feeling in her chest, so she decided to speed up. It was silly, of course. She was a vampire. She shouldn't have been scared of such controversial things.

The faint glow of the streetlights cast an eerie shadow on all of the things around her. Modern houses suddenly looked strangely deformed. Tall trees, now bare of leaves, seemed to jeer at her with sharp and accusing branches. The sidewalk itself was cold and detached.

Was this a side effect of loneliness? Seeing everything in a bitter way? The shrill ringing of her phone startled her out of her thoughts. Caroline froze for a moment, just staring at the caller ID. Unknown number. It had to be Tyler.

Slowing down her pace, she answered the phone.

"Tyler?"

There was a cool laugh on the other end—a masculine voice as familiar to her as her own hand, yet as strangely twisted as her surroundings seemed to be.

"Matt?" she asked, incredulous.

"Close." He laughed coldly again. Then there was a quick movement from the bushes, faster than anything she'd ever seen before, even faster than Klaus. She never got a clear view of whom it was. Before she could react, a hand clamped down on her mouth and Caroline lost consciousness.

* * *

Bonnie closed the door behind her, not wanting to see Damon inject the sedation into Elena's skin. They had come up with no solutions as to how to deal with Elena's lack of humanity. Despite her and Stefan's protests, Damon in the end just sedated his girlfriend. Bonnie felt as if he were too scared to face her, too scared to not give her what she wanted.

She wondered what had happened with Caroline. She knew that Klaus and her had a rough relationship, but what could have possibly gone wrong that her optimistic, bubbly best friend refused to help Elena? Then again, it was Klaus after all. If anyone could ruin someone's mood—or life—it was him.

Bonnie pushed the bitter thoughts out of her head, knowing that her strong expression magic would take advantage of any mood swing she experienced to unleash itself. She thought back to what she had told her friends about Silas.

_Like how with a single touch, he could see every thought a person ever had. _

_Like how he was incredibly strong and fast, maybe even more than the Originals themselves. _

_Like how he could invade other people's bodies, just to kill them when he was done with them._

That's how she was certain the Shane had been the one who died. Silas's cool words echoed in her mind.

"_This isn't the end, Bonnie. This is the beginning. You're the only one with the power to do this. Do you trust me?"_

"_Yes, I trust you."_

"_Good. I'll come back, and when I do, I'll be wearing a different face. But you'll know exactly who I am."_

The thought made her nervous. She couldn't shake the dread that he would take over one of her friends.

It wasn't Stefan, wasn't Damon, and despite everything wasn't Elena. Although Caroline was acting weird, she was certain it wasn't her either. That left Klaus—a huge possibility, or Tyler—very likely as well.

Caroline would know. She would be able to tell Bonnie and dispel any fears. She reached for her phone to call her.

"Hey, Care, I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to speak earlier, but—" She was cut off by a voice that definitely wasn't Caroline's. A strangely familiar voice.

"Bonnie?"

"_Matt?_"

He laughed. "I told you I'd be back, didn't I?"

Fear was a cold hand gripping Bonnie's insides and tying them together. She stumbled down the last step and braced herself against the yellowing wall.

Silas.

"What the hell did you do to Caroline?" she hissed.

"Bonnie, I thought you trusted me."

She opened her mouth, trying to backtrack. He had to still believe that Bonnie was on his side.

"I do. But Caroline's my friend. You can't hurt her, that wasn't a part of the deal."

The line was quiet for a little while. With every second, Bonnie felt more and more as if the air was being sucked from the room.

"Why don't you come to the Lockwood Cellar?" he finally spoke. "And we'll talk."

He hung up before Bonnie could say anything else. She stood there, frozen with her phone in hand.

A slam upstairs jolted her out of her trance. She couldn't get Damon and Stefan for backup. If it came down to it, Silas would be able to overpower them in milliseconds. Bonnie wasn't about to let any more friends in danger.

She had to get to Caroline.

* * *

Cold, slimy mustiness. Caroline knew where she was before she even opened her eyes by the wet smell—a putrid odor that perpetually hung over the air in the Lockwood Cellar.

As she slowly regained consciousness, the whole predicament of her situation began to hit her. She had been kidnapped. Again.

Suddenly, a searing pain burned through her wrists—as if someone were tracing their circumferences with a scorching iron rod. Looking up, she saw the dreaded vervain ropes chaining her up like a dog, preventing escape.

It might have been comical if she weren't so frightened. If there were an award given for Most Easily Abducted Person, Caroline would for sure take the prize. Not so long ago, a couple of Klaus's hybrids had taken her hostage and chained her up in the exact same place she was now. Back then, it had been to get back at Tyler.

Now, of course, the hybrids were dead. Caroline began to laugh—a cold and humorless laugh that vibrated through her and sent tears to her eyes. After awhile, she wasn't certain whether she was laughing or sobbing anymore.

Tears splattered against the dingy dungeon floors. With her vampire ears tuned to listen to every sound, she could hear each one patter onto the ground. She felt each pierce her heart like a bullet.

Distantly, she remembered some sort of sappy quote she'd once read. "Once you start crying, you cry about every single bad thing that's happened to you." Or something like that.

"Why?!" she cried out loud. "Why why why why _whyyyyy_?"

Why did this always happen to her? All she ever wanted in life was the perfect high school experience, complete with perfect dances and perfect cheers and perfect parties and perfect everything. She stuck by her morals and helped her friends.

So why?

Why had no one cared to hear her out today, back at the Salvatores? Why were they so hell bent on Elena that Caroline once again became what she feared most, the second choice? Why was the only person who chose her first the worst possible thing for her? Why had she been kidnapped by someone—and still didn't know who?

It was so very dark in the dungeons. She felt the darkness like a disease, creeping into the pores of her skin and seeping into her bloodstream, all the way to her heart.

Would anyone even bother to come save her? She thought bitterly.

The weight on Caroline's heart became heavier and heavier with every second. She would deal with it all later. At the moment, she just wanted to get out of this hellhole.

She had screamed her heart out already. It wasn't effective and would get nothing done. Carefully, she tried tugging at the ropes.

"_Shit!_" She screamed as the sizzle of vervain sliced her reddening skin. It was like some sort of cruel mixture from when Kim had chained her up here and when Alaric had captured her and tied her down with vervain.

Caroline wanted to wipe her tears. She wanted to brush the stray hairs gathering in front of her eyes and face. She wanted to use her hands so she could do something. Take control so she could satisfy the control freak within her. This wasn't right. She was chained up way too many times for someone like her.

She wanted to stop the emotions. There were far too many deep, dark feelings that hit her repeatedly like a tidal wave. She wanted to turn it all off, just like Elena. Then, if her friends still didn't care about her, she wouldn't care anyway. It all sounded so good, like some sort of reprieve from the horror that had become her life.

Caroline reached inside. She could feel the switch there, just waiting to be flicked off. How nice would that have been—how wonderful an escape from this madness. She grabbed onto the switch, hovering on the brink of humanity and weighing her options.

"Caroline?! Are you here?" A voice startled her backwards, and she immediately let go of her switch.

"Bonnie?" she found herself trying to call out, to no avail. It came out as a croak.

"Care? Where are you? Silas, I know you're here. What the hell did you do to her?" Bonnie's voice sounded weird and morphed. But maybe that was just the vervain seeping into her. It tended to make everything strange and disturbing.

She felt her eyelids begin to droop as she sunk back into unconsciousness. Vaguely, she remembered that she was supposed to fight. But she didn't want to. She just wanted to give up.

"Oh my God! Caroline!" Footsteps pounding against the dirt. A Latin incantation recited. The creaking of the cell door as it flew open.

"Care, it's me. It's Bonnie. Can you hear me?" The desperate voice of her best friend.

"Glad to know someone cares," Caroline tried to say. No words came out, it was only a slur. Almost as if she were drunk. If only.

"What? What did he do to you? Are you okay?"

Caroline was not okay. She was so far from okay that she felt as if she would never be okay again. Then she remembered that she was immortal and laughed tunelessly.

"Come on, we have to go before he gets back here. Please, just bear with me."

She felt the stinging lessen on her wrists as the vervain ropes fell away. She was being hoisted up, but Bonnie wasn't strong enough to lift her, nor was Caroline strong enough to stand up.

"Okay, this isn't working," she heard Bonnie say. A few moments of silence. "I'm going to call… Klaus, okay?"

What? Klaus? What the hell? No way, Bonnie. No way in hell is that bastard coming to save me. No way in hell am I going to let him look at me and smirk and say that he saved my life again. No!

But of course, she couldn't speak. She just gave up, feeling the darkness draw even closer around her like a net tightening across her body. Caroline shut her eyes completely, willing herself to go to sleep. Maybe when she woke up, everything would be better.

* * *

"How is she?" Caroline heard Bonnie whisper.

"She's still unconscious. How would I know how she is if she hasn't even fluttered an eyelash, much less say a word?" A masculine British voice replied. Klaus.

Bonnie sighed. "I'm just worried about her. You know you are too."

"And what makes you think that? You've met me. I don't care about anybody."

"Except Caroline. Otherwise you wouldn't have risked such danger to come save her just now."

All was silent for a few moments. Then Caroline heard Bonnie speak up again.

"Look, I know you're doing us this huge favor by saving her and you didn't have to do any of this. But I still have to ask to make sure. Can I trust you and your siblings to look after her for the night? I need to go home."

"You know, I still don't see why she couldn't have just stayed with Damon and Stefan."

"Because you guys are stronger than the them. Silas will have less of a chance to beat you guys if it ever came to it. Caroline's safer here with you. I'd never thought I'd say that, but it's true."

"That's a little ironic, little witch."

"Sure is," Bonnie agreed. "So can I trust you?"

Klaus sighed. "Fine, your little friend is safe from physical harm for tonight."

"Physical?"

"I can't guarantee she won't get verbal abuse." He smiled wickedly.

"Klaus, I don't really think you know what she's been through the past few days."

"I don't think you really know either, Bonnie. And I didn't mean me. I meant by Rebekah. You can rest assured that I don't plan on talking to her."

Bonnie sighed again. "Okay. I'll be back tomorrow, then." Caroline heard footsteps clatter towards the front door.

"Klaus?"

"What?"

"I never thought I'd say this, but… thank you." Bonnie's voice became somewhat strangled on the last two syllables.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Klaus replied, a joking tone coming over his voice.

"I won't repeat it. I know you have vampire hearing. And all is not forgiven, just to be perfectly understandable."

The door shut with a click behind her as she left.

Caroline's eyes flew open. She'd wanted to listen to their conversation, yes, but she'd also wanted to exchange a few words with Bonnie about everything. And she absolutely did not want to be stuck here with Klaus for an entire night.

"I see you're awake," his voice called. She whirled. He was leaning casually against the doorway to the living room.

"I thought you weren't talking to me," she replied coolly, wincing as she heard the weakness of her voice. "Which I'm perfectly agreeable to."

Klaus walked over to her, hovering above the sofa where she lay. He gave her an incredulous look.

"I just saved your life. You're still mad at me?"

Caroline licked her dry and cracked lips, uncertain at this point. She picked at a loose string from one of the pillows she had been sleeping on.

"I dunno," she mumbled. "That depends if you're still mad at me."

She saw his eyes widen for a moment. Suddenly, she couldn't tear her own eyes away. Caroline watched with some fascination as he visibly internally battled himself. She was certain that if she didn't say anything, the Old Klaus would eventually win and he would continue being equally aloof and occasionally cruel to her.

She was tired of fighting with him. Their banter, she did not mind—she secretly even liked it. But the actual fighting was getting exhausting.

Caroline tried to stand up, but her head felt dizzy and she began to topple. Out of reflex, Klaus moved quickly to grab her. Both of them froze and stared at his grip on her arm.

She met his dark eyes with a strange expression. Klaus let go immediately and dropped his hand, his emotions closing off again as he turned to leave the room.

"Klaus," she said, but the dryness of her throat caused it to come out as a whisper. She tried to walk over to him.

"Sit down, Caroline." He sighed. "You're not well enough."

She ignored him. "Come here," she demanded.

His eyes went a fraction larger again. He hesitated, as if he were afraid. Caroline stopped for a moment, unsure as to what she herself was doing. She wasn't supposed to want to even look at him, much less touch him.

But the darkness that had seeped into her soul back in the Lockwood Cellar was still imprinted in her heart. Upon emerging from there, she had come back much, much darker than she was. And Caroline knew it.

She saw the same darkness in Klaus's eyes just then—that same cold, biting loneliness. It made her feel pity and understanding at the same time, which was what probably propelled her to use her remaining energy to walk over to him and tell him what he needed to know.

"You're not horrible," she whispered.

He shook his head and looked away. "You're just saying that so I'll let Tyler go."

"You're not horrible," she repeated, more firmly this time.

He turned his head to look at her, his brow furrowing. For a long, tense moment, Caroline watched him battle over his emotions once again.

With a heavy sigh, Klaus finally said, "I'm not angry with you."

"Thank you for helping me."

Like he was snapped out of a daze, he snickered. "I saved your life, Caroline."

"No." She rolled her eyes, suddenly smiling as they fell back into their usual bantering routine. She couldn't help herself. "You just brought me out of there. If I waited long enough, I could've gone out with Bonnie on my own."

"Note the use of the word 'waited.' If you waited, Silas surely would've appeared and gauged out your throat. So I did save your life."

Caroline scoffed. "Well, fine._ Possibly_ saved my life then."

Klaus grinned back at her, then faded away as he thought of what they had just joked about. "Why do you think he wanted you?" he asked, much more serious.

She sighed, her smile dropping as well. "Can we just not talk about that please? I know we'll have to deal with it tomorrow, but I feel as if today there's been enough drama."

He nodded gravely. "You're right. Well, I would offer you a drink, but I feel as if you might need some rest. You're more than welcome to one of our guest rooms instead of the sofa."

"I'm actually fine here."

He wouldn't hear of it. With a quick swoop, Caroline was knocked off her feet and in Klaus's strong arms. She gasped, taken utterly by shock. Then he smirked down at her and she couldn't help grinning back. Using his vampire speed, Caroline was suddenly carried upstairs to a bedroom before she knew it. It wasn't until Klaus plopped her down on a soft bed that they burst into laughter.

A little voice nudged at the back of her mind that he was the enemy and she should not be having a good time with him. She should condemn him and walk away.

But what good would that have done? She'd done it that morning, and Klaus had retaliated by retracting his pardon on Tyler. Maybe if she spent a little more time with Klaus, he would let him go once again.

Tyler. Again Caroline was reminded that she should call him. Suddenly, she felt an extreme wave of annoyance. Here she was, having her first laugh in ages, and responsibilities continued to harry at her. No. Maybe it was the darkness eating away at her again, but if this was what a little bit of darkness did to you, then Caroline needed it.

* * *

**Okay thanks so much for reading! I really enjoyed writing this chapter-definitely my favorite by far! Previously, we've only explored Klaus's ways of succumbing to Caroline's light, but now we sort of see his changing of Caroline's views too. And after that kidnapping, well... what can I say but that she is only getting darker from here. And Klaus likes it. Me thinks he likey a lot ;) **

**Please review and let me know what you think! A thousand kisses to everyone who has reviewed so positively so far, but don't be afraid to point out some flaws as well :) I'd really like to improve.**

**I'll update soon! xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8: The Originals' Deal

**A/N- Hey, fellow Klaroliners! I am SO sorry that I haven't posted in so long. So much has happened on the actual show... including what just happened a few days ago on The Originals...grrr. **

**Anyway, this was a really interesting chapter to write! It's sort of the turning point of Caroline's "dislike" for Klaus. And why else was this rather long chapter fun to write? Because The Originals are back! :D This chapter does make reference to New Orleans at one point, but I just added that for fun. It really has nothing to do with the actual show, nor will I ever go back to New Orleans in my writing again. **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 8

Rebekah's hands were clasped together on her lap. She mentally refrained her long, slim fingers from fidgeting, though the urge to drum her nails on the soft leather seat of the car was strong. She was anxious, but she couldn't show it. There were so many bad news to give Elijah, but a single hint of nervousness and her oldest brother would be onto her in a second. And Rebekah didn't want that.

It wasn't one of those times when the truth would cause him to hate her. It was one of the times when the truth was so painful that even thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.

For a thousand years, Rebekah had perfected the art of masks and acting. She acted like a "super vampire," when all she really wanted to be was a normal human. She acted happy at school when all she felt was the bitter emptiness of loneliness—and the feeling that she wasn't truly one of the girls at school.

And she acted as if she was over the death of her brother, Kol.

Just like that, her brain automatically shut him out and she went back to staring numbly out the passenger seat window. The thicket of woods began to appear in the distance. They were almost home.

Next to her, Elijah's hand barely gripped the steering wheel. He had seemed to be lost in thought as well, but clearly sense something off about his sister and gave her a concerned glance.

"What's the matter, sister?"

Rebekah sighed. She should just tell him now, before they reached Niklaus. So Klaus wouldn't be reminded of the incident and possibly attempt to hunt down Elena Gilbert for the murder of Kol Mikaelson. And that would spoil everything she was planning.

"Elijah," she started, then sighed again.

"Bekah…" he replied in a warning voice.

"You'll find that much has changed since you left. And there are some things I did not tell you, some things—" She was cut off by her brother.

"I do not care for any of the other things in Mystic Falls, as I am here only for Niklaus. And I personally cannot imagine that he has changed all too much."

"I didn't mean about Nik, actually. But yes, he has changed as well. That's part of why I called for you to come back. I believe he has changed."

Elijah frowned. "I thought you called me back so we could be a family again. That, of course, and our little hidden agenda."

"Yes," Rebekah said. "But why have I suddenly had a change of heart when I wanted nothing to do with him a mere day ago, you might ask? I think he has changed—just slightly—for the better." She let him muse over this for a moment.

"As much as I trust your judgment, Bekah, this is something I must see for myself."

She nodded. "And there are other things, things that are far more complicated and confusing." She paused for a moment, gathering the courage to tell him about Kol. But she never got the chance to say it.

"You've already informed me on the cure and this Silas creature. I can't imagine things getting any more complicated than that." Elijah said firmly, turning up the familiar road that would lead to the Mikaelson Mansion. "We're almost there, anyway. You can tell me the rest when we're with Nik. For the remaining time we have alone, I would like to discuss our plan. It must be of utmost secrecy."

Rebekah pushed away a mixed feeling of relief and annoyance.

"Obviously," she said. "If Nik knew we were here to try to help redeem him…" she trailed off. "Well there wouldn't be much he could do, anyway. Both the final dagger and the white oak stake are in my possession."

Elijah let out a long breath of air. "How are we going to help him? We've tried so many times before. What makes you think it'll work this time around?"

Rebekah grew serious. She suddenly felt very small, like a little girl blindly holding onto her faith.

"Honestly, Elijah, I don't really know. All I know is that I felt a glimmer of hope for him and I'm holding onto that. What more do I have left at this point?" she said hoarsely, thinking of her battered family. "We're family. We need to have faith in Niklaus because he is our brother. And we once promised to never leave him. Always and forever."

Elijah didn't say anything, but she felt his silent agreement and comfort as he took one hand off the steering wheel and laid it over her own.

* * *

"I'm surprised to find you here, of all places," Klaus said as he walked into his vast kitchen. He came to a halt in the middle of the room, watching the curly blonde back of Caroline's hair move up and down as she rummaged around his refrigerator. He heard her sigh and set a jar of something down on the shiny marble floor.

"You've met me. Are you really all that surprised?" she retorted. She stood up and brushed off her jeans. Klaus noticed that the clothes he had taken from Rebekah's old room were slightly too large for Caroline. Nevertheless, they were the only he could find last minute. He had been lucky that his sister had left any clothes in the mansion at all.

Klaus smiled, closing some of the space between them as he walked towards her in two quick strides.

"Good morning."

Caroline blinked. "Uh, yeah. Good morning."

"What are you doing here at all? The whole house is empty save the two of us, and you choose the kitchen to pay your graces?"

Predictably, she rolled her eyes. "Again, you've met me. And I was _going_ to make breakfast, but it turns out your storage of food is a little… expired." She gestured helplessly towards the fridge that she'd emptied and the collection of jars and various boxes now piled on the floor.

"Let's just say I've been eating out for awhile," Klaus replied. "There was no need to make breakfast. I usually go out or order in."

Caroline smiled. There was something strange about talking with Klaus when it came to be about such mundane things.

"I thought you had a whole flock of tan-legged women to make your meals and serve them to you," she said.

"I did, yes. But I felt no need for them after my siblings left. Sometimes, more people who are strangers can just make you feel more lonely."

Caroline nodded. She gave him another small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, at least Rebekah left clothes here, right?"

He laughed. "Rebekah has collected so many clothes over the centuries, I'm surprised she has the resolve to transport them as she moves. Her new home didn't quite accommodate her lavish closet, so she had to leave some here." He eyed the long sleeves that had to be rolled up. "I can see the clothes are a little big. How did you sleep last night, by the way?"

"Dreamlessly. But it was great. Are all the rooms in this house that big and fancy?"

Now Klaus smiled at the floor, as if sharing some private joke with himself.

"No. Let's just say you received special treatment."

Caroline shrugged. "So where are your siblings now, anyway? Bonnie said Rebekah would be here, didn't she? Thought she wasn't coming back."

Klaus lost his grin. "She wasn't. But yesterday afternoon, she paid me a visit and announced that she and Elijah are moving back here today."

Caroline made a little noise of surprise. "And how do you feel about that?"

He sighed. "You're starting to sound like a psychiatrist. Now that I have no hybrids, they're my only family left, and I look forward to seeing them. At least Elijah, anyway. I only hope they're not here to betray me or plot against me again."

Caroline turned away. "You know, you have some serious trust issues."

"You would too, if you've dealt with a family like mine for a thousand years."

"I think you need to have a little faith." Then she reached down and plucked a plastic bag of suspicious-looking strawberries off the floor. Klaus watched her mutely.

"Okay, well here's the thing. I was going to make breakfast to sort of repay you for letting me stay here last night. But as you can see, that didn't exactly work out," Caroline said, now opening random cupboards and peering in each one.

Klaus, evidently relieved at the change of subject, looked at her curiously.

"We've already established that I have nothing of sustenance. What could you possibly be looking for now? You could just ask me, you know. This _is_ my house," he said dryly. "Judging by the current state of your refrigerator, I doubt you've stepped foot into this kitchen more than twice." She said, slamming another drawer shut. "Now where are your garbage bags?"

Klaus walked towards a cabinet on the far end of the room and deliberately pulled out a large plastic bag from inside. He grinned, relishing the few seconds that Caroline stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say for once.

"Oh, give me that," she said finally as she reached and snatched it from his hand. She piled all of the various boxes of expired food into the bag and tied a huge double knot.

"Here," she said, thrusting it into Klaus's chest. He caught the heavy bag as easily as if it were made of paper.

Caroline cast a final look around the kitchen for any signs of disarrays before turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"You need food. I'm going grocery shopping." She paused at the doorway. "Hey, do you happen to know where my car keys are? I left them here yesterday after…" she trailed off, not wanting to say _our huge blowout_.

Without warning, Klaus zipped away with the garbage bag still in hand. Before Caroline could blink twice, he was back with the bag now disposed of and a set of brass keys dangling from his long and dexterous fingers.

She reached for the keys to her old Mustang. Klaus snatched his hand back, an amused expression covering his face.

"May I come with you?" he asked.

Caroline recovered from her surprise and made a face. "Grocery shopping? You really want to come with me to a supermarket?"

He shrugged. "What else have I to do?"

She stared at him. "Um, okay. One, track down this Silas guy and find out his evil motives. Two, find Katherine and secure the cure from her. Three, prepare the house for your siblings. And four," she bit her lip.

"Hunt down Tyler?" he asked softly.

Caroline glared at him and grabbed her keys, heading towards the front door. He was by her side in an instant.

"Come on, love. I'd rather spend my time with you."

She sighed, her hand still on the knob. She didn't dare look at him. Looking at him tended to confuse her even more, and she needed to get her priorities straight at the moment. She needed to convince him to not go after Tyler again, for sure. Tyler was the love of her life. Tyler had always been there for her. Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. She repeated the words like a mantra in her mind, over and over again. He was the reason why she was doing all of this anyway, wasn't he?

But there was something much, much more. Something more to persuading Klaus to not go after Tyler. For some reason, although Caroline could not figure out what it was for the life of her, she wanted to test Klaus. She wanted to see him be human and forgiving and as compassionate as his hardened nature would allow. She wanted to stretch his patience and endurance until he ran thin, just to break the shiny cold surface that covered him to see if there really was something worth saving underneath. She wanted this, and she wanted it a lot.

And what Caroline wanted most of all at the moment? She wanted to see the fearsome Original hybrid go grocery shopping.

"Fine," she said, holding back a grin. "But you're pushing the cart."

Klaus's face lit up and again Caroline found herself admiring the happy expression that had been perpetually on his face ever since she told him he wasn't horrible the night before. She knew why she liked it—this was the smile saved only for her. Watching him now, she couldn't picture the big, bad wolf. Klaus just looked like Klaus. And although she would have never admitted it, it was just a little bit adorable.

She suddenly broke off from his intense gaze and twisted the doorknob rather harshly.

"Come on," she said. "And don't even think about driving. You're in the backseat today. Passenger seat is saved only for my purse."

"Whatever you say, Caroline."

"And don't judge my car. I know it may not be a flashy Maserati, but my Mustang is what people in this town actually drive."

Klaus held his hands up in surrender. "I'm not the one who judges, sweetheart."

Caroline paused, narrowing her eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "Even you know that you are rather quick to judge everything. People, places, things…"

"I do not!"

"Yes," he said, now very serious. "You do."

"Like what?" she challenged.

"Well if you want to be personal, take me for instance."

Caroline scoffed. "You? What do I have to judge about you?"

"Don't you think I'm horrible?" Klaus asked.

"No! Didn't you hear a word I said yesterday?"

"I heard you. I know you don't think I'm a horrible person. I'm asking you if you think I'm simply horrible. Be honest, Caroline. I like you better that way."

"I-" she stuttered. "What the hell is the difference? And why are you telling me this anyway?"

"To show you what you need to know. Not everything in the world is so black and white. You need to be familiar with the world and its little pockets of gray. Good people aren't always good, just like bad people aren't always evil."

"I know that, but-"

"But you couldn't truly believe that I could do something good? You couldn't fathom the idea that your precious friends are so wrapped around Elena Gilbert that they didn't even ask you if you were okay?"

"Neither have you!" Caroline practically shouted. She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear self-consciously.

"That's because I already know you're not."

"And what have you done to do about it?" she said bitterly. "You were the one who caused most of this."

"I ran Tyler out of town. Then I let him go. You didn't seem to see past my horrible image to even think that I could do something for the sake of someone else. You obviously don't understand the magnitude of my doing something like that. Letting someone go after he's double-crossed me so many times? That is a feat. And you didn't believe in me."

Caroline went quiet for a moment, her lips pressed together. She couldn't believe his nerve, but a part of her knew he was right. Still, the gears turned in her head as she churned up a new idea.

"Well, I'm sorry," she said finally.

"What?"

"Don't make me say it again. I doubted you, and you're right. I do judge, apparently." Caroline let out a little laugh, still thinking about her new plan. She made her voice as realistic as possible, as if she actually believed that she judged too easily. As if.

"So we're starting over, you and me. I know you like deals, so I'll make you one," she continued, carefully.

"I'm not letting Tyler go again."

"_Aware_," she snapped. "So here's what I propose, and this is solely for the sake of personal growth. If you can somehow make me see the little… gray pockets… of life or whatever, you have to prove to me that evil people can be humane. You can't just tell me all this magic about a middle ground and not prove it to me."

Klaus was quite surprised. "Deal," he said immediately.

Caroline gave him a small smile, though her heart exploded with relief. He had agreed!

"Okay, so first human thing on Klaus's to-do list is to lug around Caroline's groceries. Understood?"

He nodded, a hint of his former smile returning. By now, both were almost at the end of the driveway.

They heard wheels in the distance. Sure enough, a sleek black Porsche pulled up beside them in less than thirty seconds.

Elijah and Rebekah stepped out. The Originals were here.

* * *

"Brother," Klaus said, his face breaking into a full grin. "I've missed you."

Elijah straightened his dark blue tie. Caroline noticed that he was dressed rather formally. He wore a black suit without a single wrinkle. A crisp white collared shirt peaked out from underneath his suit jacket. On any other person, the sharp creases going down each pant leg would've seemed pretentious and snobby. On Elijah, they just made him seem even more classy and professional.

Caroline had only seen the eldest Mikaelson brother once—at Esther's ball from a few months ago. They hadn't met. Elijah had seemed preoccupied and Caroline was too frightened to introduce herself back then.

Now, Caroline was equally nervous. Although she had heard from Elena and Stefan that Elijah was the moral and compassionate Original, it didn't change the queasiness in her stomach. She had become extremely wary ever since Silas captured her, knowing that he could appear as anyone and at any given time.

Elijah patted Klaus on the back. His dark gaze fell on Caroline. He furrowed his brow in surprise.

"Niklaus, who is this lovely young lady and why does she seem so familiar?"

Rebekah, who Caroline had almost forgotten was there, let out an incoherent noise. Caroline turned to meet the Original sister's stony glare. _Bitch_, she thought. Then she turned red, remembering that she was wearing Rebekah's clothes and what her spending the night at the mansion alone with Klaus would've seemed like to anyone else.

"What's your name?" Elijah's mild voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Caroline Forbes," she said, extending her hand to shake his. To her shock, Elijah took it and brought it to his lips, kissing it.

"Elijah Mikaelson," he replied, letting her hands go. Next to her, she felt Klaus shake with silent laughter.

"I was not aware you had a guest," Elijah said to his brother.

"Neither was I until a little witch called me at an ungodly hour in the night to carry her best friend to safety."

Caroline attempted to step on his foot in irritation. Nimbly, Klaus stepped away much faster. He grinned at her hot glare and clasped both hands behind his back calmly. Their actions were not missed my Elijah, who raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

Klaus turned back to him. "We'll get to our brotherly bonding when I return. Maybe I'll even find out your real motives for coming home."

Elijah ignored the second part while Caroline just rolled her eyes.

"I'll assume my room is the same?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm afraid I gave it to Caroline. I sure hope no drool was left on the covers."

Caroline's mouth dropped open. "Seriously?!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was your room," she said to Elijah. Her and Klaus stood across from each other, her own face a mask of irritation and his thoroughly amused.

"I'm sure it's all right. You _were_ a bit off your feet last night," he said. Caroline's mouth twitched and she couldn't help grinning. She covered her face with her hands, laughing at the mental image of herself drooling all over Elijah's bed. Catching herself, she turned away from Klaus immediately. Why was it that she was always doing and thinking things she shouldn't be around him?

"I'll be in the car," she said, regaining composure. She managed to step on Klaus's foot successfully as she eased around him. "Nice meeting you Elijah. Feel free to take your room back. I won't be staying here tonight anyway." She gave Klaus a haughty look and flounced away.

Klaus stared after her, a grin spreading across all corners of his face. Rebekah cleared her throat loudly, breaking him out of his trance. He gave her an irritated look.

"If I might ask, where are you going?" Elijah asked. Klaus paused trying to find a way to say it without sounding incredibly foolish.

"Grocery shopping," he finally said. His eyes were still on Caroline, who had gotten into the driver's seat as promised.

He patted Elijah on the back. "We'll discuss matter later, brother. I trust Rebekah has by now well informed you on Silas and the cure?" Elijah nodded, a crease in between his eyebrows. Klaus leaned in close to him.

"I know you know the whereabouts of Katerina Petrova, and I know she has the cure. And I'm _sure_ you will tell me when I return." Old Klaus was suddenly back, a menacing edge of steel in his voice.

Elijah didn't flinch, though something in his eyes shifted—disappointment?

"You do not threaten me, Niklaus," he said softly. "I will tell you only if I believe you need to know. Now why don't you go after Miss Forbes? I simply cannot wait to know the deal she made with you in exchange for such special treatment."

Klaus looked a bit taken aback at the last part. "Only her company," he said.

Elijah almost snorted. "Even a girl as pretty as she could not make you go grocery shopping. You're lying. Should I accompany you to make certain you aren't really just out to kill her after you got what you wanted out of her?"

Klaus's face was now tight with fury, but before he could say anything, Rebekah intervened. She touched Elijah's shoulder.

"It's not like that," she breathed.

Their tense moment was interrupted by the sudden honk of a car horn. Caroline poked her blonde head out of the rolled-down window.

"Are you coming or not?" she yelled.

Klaus broke off from glowering at Elijah and began to turn away.

"I'm not out to kill her. She'll be alive for at least another thousand years if I have any part in it," he said.

Without even turning back to relish Elijah's surprised expression, Klaus jogged to the car and climbed into the passenger seat. They drove away.

* * *

Rebekah opened the car's trunk.

"Could you come over here and manage your own suitcases too?" she asked impatiently.

"Sorry." Elijah grabbed two trunks effortlessly and began to haul them up the stairs to the house. "Have you moved in yet, sister?"

Rebekah sighed. "Not yet. I was going to ask you and Niklaus to help em with my things, but now I suppose you'll do by yourself. I can't believe he ran off with that little blonde wench," she muttered.

Elijah set his suitcases down and halted for a moment.

"The ball," he murmured, so quietly that Rebekah almost missed what he said.

"Which?"

"The one… Esther… threw for us. To link us and end our lives, that is."

"Couldn't forget it," Rebekah replied wryly. "What a _magical_ evening of disaster it was. What about it?"

"I recognized Caroline today and just now remembered that I saw her at the ball. She was Niklaus's date, was she not?"

"Yes. That was three months ago?"

"Half a year is more like it." They were silent for a moment before Elijah spoke again.

"You were right about Klaus. He _has_ changed, a little bit. Tell me, Bekah. What is Caroline to Klaus?"

And that was how the oldest and youngest Original siblings sat on Klaus's porch together, listening and telling the story of how their brother met a baby vampire and saved her life, time after time after time to try to redeem himself. How he put aside revenge for her sake. How, for the first time in a thousand years, he chose love over hate—even if it was for a task as small as not hunting a person down.

But it was no small matter to Elijah, who had stood by him for the greater part of the thousand years they had lived and seen his brother transform into a monster.

"This is hope," he said to Rebekah. "Caroline may be the key to redeeming Klaus."

"Yes," she replied. "Personally, I don't like the girl, but if she can help us bring our family back together…"

Elijah nodded. "Then we must use her to save Klaus."

XXXX

"I honestly don't see why a chocolate cupcake baking kit is necessary. Do I look like the type of person who enjoys creating chocolate cupcakes?" Klaus asked. Spending time at the supermarket with Caroline was feeling increasingly more ridiculous.

"They're for me," she replied evenly. "And yes, you're paying, just in case you were wondering. I'll pay for everything else because I owe you, but these cupcakes go into the grief fund."

"What grief?"

"The grief you've caused me for hunting down my prom date!" Caroline's words were teasing, but the bitter tone was very real. Klaus didn't know what to say, so he changed the subject.

"Are we almost done here?" he asked.

"What, you don't like spending time with me?" Caroline's voice was in mock injury.

"No, it's just-" He was cut off by the sudden ringing of his phone. He fished it out of the inside pocket of his black jacket and grimaced at the caller ID. Unknown numbers usually meant people who were in hiding and looking to broker a deal.

"I'll be back," he told Caroline, taking three hundred-dollar bills out of his wallet and handing them to her. "Meet me outside when you're done."

Klaus held his sleek phone to his ear and disappeared behind a brick building.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Klaus," a familiar coy voice oozed from the other end, as sweet as honey.

"Katerina," he said shortly. "What an unpleasant surprise. Calling for another barter for your freedom? Though I can probably guess what it is."

"That's right," she replied. "I have the cure and I know you want it. So I'm giving it to you in exchange for my freedom."

"And why have you not come over to Mystic Falls to hand it over?"

"Because you would kill me. Duh," she said. "So if you want it, come and get it. It's in Rome."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, beginning to pace down the alleyway he was in.

"You can't possibly believe that I would fall for one of your tricks? If you really want your freedom, you would come over here with the cure and discuss this with me face to face."

"You would kill me and take the cure from me."

"Just like if I went to Rome, you would take advantage of the situation and bring backup in attempt to shove it down my throat."

"Well look at it this way, Klaus," Katherine said. "You want the cure, while I want to stay alive. I have the cure and currently _am_ alive, vampire irony unintended. All I have to worry about is you not coming after me to kill me, while you actually have to get the cure _from_ me. So you'll either come to Rome to get it, or you won't and I get to stay alive _and_ hold the cure in my possession for however long you would like."

Klaus trembled with anger. No one told him what to do, but Katherine was right. She had the upper hand here. But that was fine. He would go to Rome, but he would bring backup as well.

"Very well, Katerina," he said at last, making his voice as icy as possible. "I will come to Rome, but don't think for a second that I do not have my spies there. You would not be the only one with backup. And if things go wrong, please understand that I would not hesitate to take away your life—five hundred years after I was supposed to." He clicked to end the call, still breathing heavily as he contemplated his moves once he arrived at Rome. He would not be played as a pawn.

After ten minutes of brooding, he suddenly remembered that he had to go back to Caroline. His thoughts cleared away as he walked back to the store and caught her silently humming to herself as she pushed the shopping cart along. Her voice was sweet, but not the oozing honey kind that Katherine had. It was as high and clear as a bird's.

"_I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back to you_

_ The less I give, the more I get back_."

She sensed his presence and broke off, turning a little pink.

"I'm almost done. Hand me that can of pasta?" she asked. Klaus grinned at her and handed it to her.

She placed it into the cart and rummaged through her purse, pulling out the money he had given her and giving it back.

"I told you. I'm paying," she said, pulling out her own wallet. "And who was it that just called you? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Klaus was sure he didn't, but answered her anyway. "Katerina," he said.

Caroline did not bother to hide her surprise. "I thought she hated you."

"Everyone hates me."

She stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Klaus asked. When she didn't reply, he added, "You know, I won't be here to make fun of tomorrow. I'm leaving for Rome."

At this, she grew serious. "Wait, what?"

Klaus explained what had gone down with Katherine to her. When he finished, Caroline looked aghast.

"You know she's going to try to kill you, right? I don't see why you want the cure so badly."

He sighed. "I want the cure for the same reason I want the white oak stake back and Silas killed. I'm an Original hybrid who can't die, save those few things. And I want to keep those things close to me so that no one else can use them against me."

"If she has the cure, she'll try to kill you. There's no reason to ask for freedom when she can simply rid the world of your existence. That would set everyone free."

"And you'd love that, wouldn't you?" Klaus replied dryly as they walked to the counter and began to unload the cart.

Caroline didn't say anything at first. "Wouldn't I, Stefan, Elena, Damon, and Tyler all die if you did? So of course I wouldn't want that."

"No," Klaus replied. "If I ingest the cure, the bloodline will be broken and you will no longer be a part of my lineage."

"I don't want Tyler free because someone killed you off. I want him to be freed because you let him," Caroline snapped.

"Now why is it so important to you that I show my human side?" Klaus asked.

"Weren't you the one who fed me the bull on not judging? We made that deal this morning. You can't exactly keep it if you're dead."

"One hundred six dollars and thirty-two cents," the clerk interrupted her.

Klaus handed her two of the hundred dollar bills. Caroline looked at him in surprise.

"Did you not hear a word I said before?" she asked.

"It's the grief fund," he said with a smile in his voice. "In case I die, I would owe you extra."

She scowled. "That's not funny."

Klaus just grinned. "Deny it all you want, Caroline, but you do care about me. Just a little bit."

"Yeah, you take up a full two-trillionths of my heart."

He took up the grocery bags from her. "I won't die," he promised.

* * *

Tyler Lockwood made his way down the dark steps to the basement of the store.

"Katherine, I'm here," he called.

"I know." A light flickered on, and the curly-haired brunette stepped from the shadows. Tyler looked at her warily. While he had committed to working with her, he still did not trust her entirely.

"What did you want, then?" he asked. "Did you call Klaus yet?"

"As a matter of fact," she replied. "He's leaving for Rome tomorrow, as planned. But we'll leave tonight and get there before him to set everything up. I simply cannot wait to see his face as every person he has ever chased gathers around him to watch him die." Katherine's perfect lips curved into a cruel grin.

Tyler smiled too. "I couldn't have planned this better myself."

Katherine nodded, crossing the room to rummage through some papers on a table.

"So I need you to do something for me," she replied. "The last piece of the puzzle, essentially."

Tyler waited for her to continue.

"I need you to speak with Caroline."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

"Don't you miss her?" Katherine asked innocently.

"I do, but why is she necessary?"

Katherine sighed, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Look," she said. "Remember how she was supposed to call you last night, but never did?"

He nodded.

"That's because she was captured. By Silas."

He was out of his seat in a second. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie to you at this point?"

"What happened?" he demanded.

Katherine almost smiled. "Don't worry. Klaus saved her." She relinquished the look of fury that crossed Tyler's face at this.

"Hey, don't get mad," she said soothingly. "He'll be gone soon."

He ignored her. "Why did you tell me this?"

"So you can get her to come to Rome. She's not safe in Mystic Falls with Klaus gone."

"And you want her in Rome because…?"

Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Look, Tyler. I get that you love her a lot and everything, but think of all Klaus has took away from us.

"No," he said, as what she was trying to say dawned on him. "No, you aren't going to kill her. Absolutely not."

"That's the thing though! Even if I do, Silas will bring her back! Silas will bring her back, just like he'll bring back your Uncle Mason."

Tyler was silent.

"And think of it this way. As much as you hate it, the only thing Klaus cares about is Caroline, apart from his siblings who we can't kill. Think of all the people you've loved that he's taken away from you. Think of your mother. Wouldn't you like to avenge her death?"

"But she's my girlfriend," he said, but his voice already wavered with doubt Katherine knew he was a goner.

"And she will be again. She'll come back. This isn't goodbye," Katherine promised.

Tyler sighed. "Okay then. I'll call her and get her to Rome."

Katherine smiled. "Excellent. I'll see you on the flight then. We leave at eight."

* * *

Caroline was surfing online in the BCBG catalog for prom dresses when her phone began to ring.

_Unknown Caller_, the ID read. Fabulous. That narrowed the possibilities down to either Tyler or Silas.

She clicked the talk button. "Hello?"

"Caroline?" an all-too familiar voice answered. A wave of relief surged through her.

"Tyler!" she breathed. Then she remembered that they were supposed to talk the night before to see if Klaus had truly let Tyler go. But she decided to start with Silas.

"You wouldn't believe what happened to me last night," she began.

"I know, I know," he said. "Katherine told me."

Caroline stopped. "Katherine? What the hell are you doing with Katherine?!"

"Don't worry, Care. I can trust her," he said.

"No, you can't. She wants to lure Klaus to Rome and I think she's plotting something against him. Wait… are you a part of it?" She groaned. "Of course you are."

The line was silent for a moment. "How do you know this?" he asked. "Have you been talking to Klaus again?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yes, I have, Tyler. Don't be jealous. You know I love you and only you."

Tyler felt a little bit guilty when she said this, but shook it away nonetheless. He explained everything he had discussed with Katherine, along with their plans to bring every enemy of Klaus to Rome so they could all watch him die. He only left out the part of Caroline's role.

"Are you crazy?" Caroline asked when he was done. "Here I am, trying everything I can to protect you, and you go out to look for danger? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Katherine cannot be trusted!"

"She wants to kill Klaus. Last time I checked, he is still our enemy!"

Caroline let out a frustrated scream. "I had a plan! I was going to get him to let you go! In fact, he did let you go until I… sort of ruined it. But whatever, because I am this close to getting through with him! No one has to die, Tyler."

"Why are you so set upon getting through to him? There is no humanity in him! Stop looking for it!"

"There is, I'm sure of it, or he wouldn't have let you go in the first place!"

"The only reason he did that was probably so he wouldn't look bad to you!"

"And if love isn't a reason, then I don't know what is!"

Now, his silence was extremely long.

"Love," he said flatly. "You, Klaus, and love."

Caroline tried to laugh it off. "You know he has a thing for me, Tyler. Of course you do."

"Yeah, he has a creepy obsession with you, but he's not _in love_ with you! He's a thousand years old and can have anything he wants. Why would he want you?"

Now it was Caroline's turn to be silent. "Excuse me?" she asked.

He sighed. "I didn't mean it like that, Care. It's just that-"

"Oh no, I know exactly what you meant. Just because I'm a neurotic little baby vampire, I just have to be the second choice, right?"

Tyler sighed again. "Why do we have to fight, Care? We're letting him get between us again."

Caroline ignored him. "Why did you call me?"

"Because _I love you_. Because I think it's unsafe for you in Mystic Falls with Silas on the loose, so I want you to come over to Rome with Klaus. I'll protect you," he promised. "I'll protect you, and then we can escape together and live in a nice little town, somewhere far away from Mystic Falls. While I was gone, I actually settled for a while in a small town in New Jersey. It's just like Mystic Falls, except no supernatural drama. We could live there, Care."

Caroline didn't say anything. She didn't doubt that Tyler would protect her, but she also didn't want to stay holed up in another small town for the rest of her life.

"I don't want to stay in another small town," she told Tyler.

"Well, where else would we go?" he laughed. "Whatever, we'll figure all that out later. Will you come?"

She paused for a moment. "Could you give me some time to think, please? I'll call you back in an hour, I promise. Give me your number."

"I don't see why you would need time to think about this," he said. "But fine." He gave her a number she could reach him at.

"I love you," he said.

"Ditto," Caroline replied, hanging up. She sighed, lying on her bed, exploring her options. A week ago, she would not have hesitated to jump on this plan. She would've smiled as she watched Klaus fall. But now…

Now Klaus and Caroline were practically friends. He had let Tyler go for her sake, and saved her life again _without_ being the source of risking it this time. And he had done this when he was supposed to be angry with her. Klaus was not only showing a human side, but also teaching Caroline a thing or two about herself as well. Maybe things weren't so black and white after all.

No, she couldn't go through with letting him die. It was insane. He had done so many awful things, but part of the allure was the way that he had that possibility of being redeemed. And somehow, Caroline had faith that if she could get him to let Tyler go, then she could eventually get him to let everyone go. She knew she was being a little conceited, but fixing people was her thing. And fixing someone like Klaus? Now that would be a difficult, but not impossible, feat indeed.

It would let Tyler down, but she couldn't let Klaus go. Throwing on a jacket, she was out of her door in a flash. She vampire speeded all the way to the Mikaelson mansion.

It was Elijah who answered the door.

"Miss Forbes," he said. "What a pleasant surprise. Would you believe it if I said that I was just looking for you?"

"Where's Klaus?" she asked, a little breathless.

He arched an eyebrow. "He just left."

"I thought he wasn't leaving for Rome until tomorrow," Caroline said, a knot twisting in her stomach.

"Yes, he told me what went down with Katerina. He isn't leaving for Rome yet, but he just left for New Orleans to get some backup. He'll go to Rome from there."

"Wait, you _trust_ Katherine?"

Elijah nodded. "As a matter of fact. What reason do I have not to? We're…good friends."

Caroline just stared at him incredulously for a few seconds. "She's going to kill him."

"That's simply not true."

"It is," she insisted. "My boyfriend, Tyler Lockwood, just called me. He's working with Katherine. The two of them are getting every person Klaus has ever made an enemy of to rally against him and shove the cure down his throat… in Rome."

She waited while Elijah processed this, amazed at how calm he could be.

"She wouldn't do that," he said at last.

Caroline took a deep breath. "Okay, I get that you tend to see the best in everyone, but please listen to me. Klaus is walking into his own death. If it weren't true, then why would Tyler ask me to go to Rome with him? Tyler believes I hate Klaus, and that I would want to see his demise."

"And don't you?"

Caroline's lips pressed into a line.

"I don't," she said.

Elijah pursed his lips, squinting at the distance.

"Very well, then. I suppose you and I must pay a visit to Rome."

"Me?" she squeaked.

"Now that's another matter. Rebekah and I wished to speak with you. Why don't you come in, and we can discuss our next move?"

* * *

Caroline sat down on Klaus's sofa again, for about the fifth time in the past three days. Elijah paced at the fireplace before her, while Rebekah sat across from her and examined her nails.

They told her of their real motives for coming back, though it was no harmful reason. They wanted to help Klaus find their redemption, and had no idea how to do so until Caroline. They told her of how they wanted to make a deal with her. She would do everything in her ability to make Klaus a semi-decent person, in exchange for whatever she wanted from the Originals.

It was a lot to ask, yet wasn't too much at the same time. Caroline had originally intended to "redeem" Klaus anyway, though she hadn't consciously formed those words in her mind.

And what would she ask for in exchange?

"Tyler," she said immediately. "My price is Tyler. You must guarantee that no harm will come to him for plotting against Klaus again, and I will do everything in my ability to help Klaus."

"Granted," Elijah said without batting an eye. "Is that all?"

Caroline nodded.

"Good. Now we have to decide what to do about the Rome situation," Rebekah cut in. "We can't redeem Klaus if he's dead."

Elijah furrowed his brow. "What I'm confused about is: if Silas can bring back all supernatural beings, then wouldn't Klaus just come back with all the others if he dies?"

Caroline hadn't thought of that, but Rebekah cut in again before she could form an opinion.

"We're family," Rebekah said firmly. "That's why we're here in the first place. We can't send our brother off to his death in the first place, regardless of whether or not he'll come back."

Caroline agreed, even if she wasn't part of the family.

"I suppose that settles it then. The three of us leave for Rome, first thing tonight, to get Klaus out of the country immediately. Our flight will be at ten, I'll make sure of it. Are you okay with meeting us here an hour before, Caroline?"

She nodded. First, though, she had a call to make.

When she walked into the last rays of the setting sun, she dialed the number Tyler had given her. She knew that the easiest thing would've been if she told him she wouldn't come, but at the same time, she was dying to see him again. She could not pass the opportunity up. She could help Elijah and Rebekah smuggle Klaus away, then stay behind to be with Tyler for a few extra days.

"Care," the voice at the other end said. "Have you made your decision?"

"I have," she replied. "I'm coming to Rome, Tyler."

* * *

**I really hope you enjoyed that! And please tell me you caught onto something with the location of "Rome" ;) **

**And one more thing: Please review! Let me know the pros, the cons, the goods, the bads! **

**xoxo **


	9. Chapter 9: When in Rome

**_"When in Rome, do as Romans do."_**

* * *

Rome, Italy.

"People who say that there isn't much to see at night in Rome are wrong," Caroline said into the glass of the window.

"Either that or they simply couldn't afford to purchase the penthouse suite at the best hotel in the city," Rebekah replied from behind her.

Caroline was too captured by the beautiful night view to turn around and glare at Rebekah. Seeing the dim, downtown lights silhouetted against the shadows of old town buildings, feeling the magic of stepping off a plane and into a world where people didn't know her name, and experiencing a brand new culture filled with rich language and ancient history… well, without Caroline's even realizing it, this had been what she wanted all along. Maybe that was the same reason why she felt eerily content as opposed to nervous about her main purpose here.

She wondered how she would feel tomorrow when she saw Tyler again. The two of them, she decided, would spend the entire day in outdoor cafés and village squares, visiting museums, and if they were lucky, even go to the Coliseum! Her natural state of mind floated about to creating the perfect schedule.

Tyler probably had planned a whole celebration after the "destruction of Klaus," but since Elijah and Rebekah would ship Klaus away before any type of throwdown, Caroline doubted that Tyler would feel too triumphant. Either way, she would make sure the couple had fun. They were in _Rome_. Tyler could show her statues and paintings and monuments and cathedrals…

Then she stopped, remembering that it had been Klaus who wanted to show her those things. Suddenly, Caroline somehow couldn't wrap her mind around _Tyler_, the football jock, fine-dining in expensive restaurants and giving a history briefing on Michelangelo's _David_.

She thought back to a night, about half a year ago, at the Mikaelson Ball.

_"I've never really been anywhere," Caroline confessed, looking down. She felt his gaze on her._

_"I'll take you," Klaus said. "Wherever you want." _

_Caroline didn't know how to reply, and he didn't wait for her to speak. _

_"Rome," Klaus guessed. She rolled her eyes._

_"Paris." Was he seriously continuing with this?_

_"…Tokyo?" Now Caroline could almost hear the thinly veiled laughter in his voice. Against her mind's protests, she chuckled too. _

"Caroline." A voice brought her back to reality. Rebekah.

"What is it?" she asked, not bothering to turn.

"Elijah wishes to speak with us."

Giving a final, lingering glance outside, Caroline left the window and headed past the vast double doors that led to another high-ceilinged, well-furnished sitting room. It was complete with dark, glossy furniture and glistening crystal chandeliers. Elijah stood at the far end of the room, by the stone fireplace. The orange flames formed flickering shadows that danced across his defined features.

As Caroline and Rebekah entered the room, he turned around.

"I've tracked Niklaus's plane," he said, immediately getting down to business. He gestured for the girls to sit on the lavish sofa in front of him.

"He arrives tomorrow evening at six, with backup from New Orleans," he continued. "Unfortunately, the fact that I had such little difficulty locating him means that Katerina will be just as able to find him. It is imperative that we move as soon as possible."

Rebekah nodded. "Good. And I suppose that Caroline will be the one to motivate him to leave?"

Caroline grimaced inwardly. Six? That meant she wouldn't even get half as long as she would've liked with Tyler. Her mind was reforming a new schedule for the next day when Elijah frowned.

"Caroline has been very helpful to us already," he said. "In fact, the main reason I brought her here was to serve as backup in case something went wrong." He turned to her. "Caroline, why don't you enjoy the rest of tonight and tomorrow in this city until our flight tomorrow at seven? I am certain that I can get Niklaus to leave on his own accord. Even he would not be so stupid as to surge on after he hears about the coup gathered to kill him."

Rebekah arched an eyebrow. "I don't know. You know Nik and his pride."

Elijah shook his head. "I'll handle him. Just keep your phones on so we can reach each other in case something does go wrong." He flipped his own sleek Blackberry on his palm.

Caroline grinned. She had thought that her time in Rome would be under the constant eye of the Originals, and that she would have to sneak past them to get to Tyler. Now they were giving her—literally—a free pass? A free ticket to the dream place to spend with her boyfriend. Finally, something would go right. She decided to push her luck.

"I think I should stay here for awhile even longer," Caroline remarked. "Tyler would get suspicious if I left before the supposed killing could even happen. Only for a day or two, of course," she added hurriedly.

Rebekah looked over her warily. "You'd better not be having second thoughts on helping us with Klaus."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Elijah cut in smoothly, giving Rebekah a look. "Come back to Mystic Falls two days after us, and we'll meet up to come up with a more formulated plan to help Nik's redemption."

Caroline nodded. It would be a great few days.

* * *

With a final dab of lipstick, Caroline smacked her cherry colored lips together and sat down, satisfied at her reflection. From the large window, sunlight streamed in and lit the marble bathroom up. It was the perfect weather for the perfect day.

She checked her phone for the time. 7:13 AM. Caroline had called Tyler the night before and was thrilled to hear his voice again. The two had made plans to meet up at eight the next morning at a downtown café for breakfast. Caroline had called him outside of the hotel, however, and out of earshot of the Originals. Despite everything, she still wasn't too certain that they would have taken it all too kindly if they found out that she meeting up with the man who plotted to kill Klaus.

The café was about twenty minutes away by cab, which meant that Caroline would have just enough time to do some personal shopping before meeting with Tyler. With a last flip of her curly blonde hair, Caroline grabbed her purse and practically flew out the door and into the elevator.

When she reached the Lobby, Caroline pulled out her cell phone and called Tyler. She knew he wouldn't have picked up—Tyler wasn't one to wake up early—but she left a voicemail anyway, as she had become so accustomed to doing in the past weeks that he was gone.

"Tyler," she said excitedly. "I know that I'm going to see you in, like, half an hour, but… I'm just so thrilled. So yeah…" she trailed off, suddenly not knowing what to say. "I'll see you," she said hurriedly, closing her phone and crossing the lobby floor to the large, glass entrance. She was in so much of a rush that she didn't even see the blonde before she bumped into her.

"Meeting up with Tyler, I see," Rebekah said, crossing her arms.

"God!" Caroline exclaimed in surprise. Regaining her composure, she smoothed down her frilly tank top. "And yes. In case you'd forgotten, he _is_ my boyfriend."

Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "Look," she said. "I know that Elijah is trusting you, but that doesn't mean that I will. He doesn't know you lot, and I do. You guys are sneaky and conniving and you love to screw us Mikaelsons over. You are only useful to me as far to being the key to redeeming Klaus, but you still don't have my trust."

"I'm not going to spill anything to Tyler," Caroline snapped. "And I don't care if you don't trust me, because I sure as hell don't trust you. I'm helping you only because you guys can stop Klaus from going all Alpha-male on Tyler's ass. Now if you excuse me, I actually have somewhere to be, so why don't you go and compel yourself a real friend?" She tried to step past her, but Rebekah moved in front of her again. She squinted at Caroline, scrutinizing her.

"What?" Caroline asked self-consciously.

"You're lying."

"Fine, I lied. Even if you compel a friend, she won't be real. Excuse me," Caroline said again, even more impatiently this time.

"No. You're lying about helping Nik. You're not only doing this for Tyler's immunity. You actually want to help him," Rebekah said, a smirk appearing on her face.

Caroline scoffed, starting to get the uneasy and confused feeling she always got when the topic of "Klaus and Caroline" came up.

"Why else would you have stuck around him for so long?" Rebekah continued, clearly enjoying herself.

"To protect Tyler," Caroline said, and then faltered. If it really were that, would all the laughter and teasing had been necessary? It wouldn't have, and she knew it.

"Sure," Rebekah taunted. She laughed, stepping out of Caroline's way. "By all means, go. Be with Tyler. Come back when you're ready to admit that you're attracted to my brother too."

Caroline rolled her eyes and started to go. She was halfway down the hotel steps when she heard the soft voice again from behind her.

"Wait," Rebekah said. God, what was it now? She turned around to see Rebekah looking suddenly hesitant, her face devoid of all snark. She looked almost… sorry. Before Caroline could turn around again, Rebekah reached into her purse and pulled out several crisp Euro bills.

Caroline looked at her warily. "What is this?"

The Original sister sighed, crossing the steps and stuffing the money into Caroline's palm. "I know that you don't have a lot of cash, and things down here can get extremely expensive," she said.

"I don't want your money," Caroline said dully.

"I know, I know. I'm just sorry. About what I just said," Rebekah sighed. Was this girl bipolar? Caroline seriously considered getting her a therapist.

"It's just that… I don't have anyone to love like that. And here you are, with two perfectly nice men, both fawning over you…" She trailed off. "Well, okay, Nik is anything but nice, but still. And Matt. Even Matt cares for you," Rebekah said with a small smile. "How I acted just now? That's my first instinct. But I'm fighting it. I'm learning to fight the instinct to retaliate and be a snobby bitch. I'm just jealous, I suppose. For the longest time, I thought that all I wanted to be was human, but now I realize that I've simply been living my vampire life all wrong. I can live like a human _and_ have the perks of immortal life. You're proof of that."

Caroline, in all honesty, was extremely taken aback at the sudden change of heart from Rebekah. Still, it was not an unwelcome change and Caroline got the distinct sense that Rebekah secretly had a thing for Matt. That fact made her smile.

She stood on the brink—should she forgive Rebekah or spit in her face? Her phone display read that it was around 7:30 now, and Caroline didn't want to be any later. She sighed. It was too pretty a day to continue hating on anybody.

She closed her hand around the money. "All right," she said. "I guess I'll put in a good word for you in front of Matt, then."

Rebekah's face lit up. "You'd really do that?"

Caroline nodded. "Now if you don't mind, I really have to go now to see Tyler."

Rebekah pursed her lips, hesitating a little before speaking. "I know it seemed like I was only saying things earlier to be mean, but it's true too, you know. About my brother and you. I think you should think about it." She turned to head back inside the hotel. "Have a good time, Caroline."

"Thanks," she murmured back, finding herself suddenly lost in the confusing tornado of Klaus thoughts once again.

* * *

Caroline stopped the taxi around two blocks away from the café and spent the remaining time browsing the little shops and boutiques. Everything here was expensive, though incredibly cute as well. Caroline longed to go to the actual modern shopping malls, where Italian shoes and handbags were in abundance, but she doubted that she would find the time within the next two days. She swore to herself that she would come back to Rome one day in her immortal life and explore the city from urban buildings to rural farms.

Now, a nearby clock tower struck eight times. Caroline hurried to the café and asked for an outdoor seat for two. She opened the menu and became so immersed with scanning the day's specials that she didn't notice him until he slipped into the seat across from hers.

"Tyler!" she squealed, standing up to give him a hug. He hugged her back a few seconds after.

"I've missed you, Care," he said slowly.

Caroline leaned back, staring at him. Something seemed off about him. His smile was a little forced and his eyes kept darting everywhere—he didn't look straight at Caroline.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she whispered.

"What? Oh, nothing. I'm just a little nervous about tonight, I guess."

Tonight. She had almost forgotten about that.

"Right," Caroline said. "You said you wanted me to be there?"

It was as if the room got even tenser—and they weren't even indoors. Caroline shifted in her seat uncomfortably. What she planned on being a joyous reunion suddenly seemed to go in a completely different direction. It was as if her and Tyler were strangers.

"Yes," Tyler said. "Don't you want to see Klaus's demise?" Without waiting for an answer, he added, "It's in the Coliseum."

The Coliseum? That was not how Caroline wanted her first visit to the ancient battle stadium to be.

"Wow," Caroline said quietly. "That's… quite a lot of flair."

"I know. I actually came up with the idea," Tyler said proudly. Now, it was Caroline's turn to not look at him. For some reason, she couldn't bear to look at him when he was so hell-bent on this revenge.

"So it's at ten o'clock tonight, sharp. You'll come, won't you? Would you like me to get someone to pick you up? Where are you even staying, anyw-"

Caroline cut him off. "I didn't say I was coming," she said. She bit her bottom lip, remembering her promise to not tell Tyler a thing about her real plans. That meant not mentioning that she, indeed, had not arrived alone.

Then again, if she said no, Tyler would become suspicious.

"All right," Caroline sighed. "I'll come."

"Good!" Tyler grinned so that it was almost exactly like his old, warm smile. Almost.

Caroline felt that it was necessary to establish a topic change at this point. She picked up the menu again and her mind floated back to its usual orderly state.

"So," she began, dragging her finger down the plastic of the menu. "I think I'll have the cutlet with olive oil. Does that sound fancy enough? Hey, do you know what's good here? You _have_ been here longer than I have. What kinds of food do you recommend?"

"I-"

"Ooh!" Caroline exclaimed. "I had a great idea earlier! Since you've been here for, what, two weeks now, then _you_ can take us around. But I want to visit all the town squares first, before all the traditional tourist destinations. How's that?"

"Caroline," Tyler said firmly. He looked abashed, as if he didn't know what to tell her. "I've been really busy these past few days. You don't even understand. Katherine and I want this thing with Klaus to be perfect and go off without a hitch. I haven't had time to… roam."

Under any other circumstances, Caroline would've laughed at his "roam" pun, but now she was just baffled.

"How… how could you have stayed in this beautiful city for two whole weeks, and not have visited anywhere unique?" she asked.

"I just told you. Look, how's this? Tonight, we get rid of Klaus, and then…" he trailed off suddenly, as if he didn't know what he was going to say. "I'm just sorry, okay?"

"But what were you going to say? Once we get rid of him, we can enjoy Rome by ourselves?" Caroline asked eagerly.

Tyler looked away out onto the rickety brick pavement, where several tourist carriages were strolling along lazily.

"Tyler?" she asked softly.

"Just come tonight, and we'll make plans after," Tyler promised. He started to stand up. "Look, I've got to run to meet with Katherine again. We're going to review this thing one more time." He gave Caroline a longing look, lifting his hand as if to put it on her shoulder, but changing his mind at the last minute and dropping it. "Hey, I'm sorry. I really am. But trust me, once we get rid of the guy who's destroyed my life, we'll be back to normal. We'll be in Mystic Falls again, living the good life. I just can't live with the Devil constantly breathing down my neck. You understand, don't you? You of all people should."

Now it was Caroline's turn to look away. She couldn't face him because he was, frankly, being dense and just the tiniest bit selfish. But she also didn't look at him because she knew very well that Tyler's dreams would never be fulfilled. Caroline was getting Klaus out of Rome, and that was a fact.

Suddenly, she got an idea. Maybe if she went with Tyler to learn about the meeting, it wouldn't look as suspicious. When she asked him so, however, a peculiar expression came over his face again.

"Um, I'd actually rather you didn't. Katherine can be… quite… distrustful." Tyler suddenly seemed in an awful hurry to get out. "Okay, I really have to go now. I'll see you tonight, don't be late! Also, it'd be great if you could wear something pretty," he said, smiling. "We're making this _especially_ extravagant. And if any of the guards give you trouble, just compel them. You know what to do." He pecked her cheek and left without another word.

Caroline just sat there with the menu in her lap, wondering what had just happened. Suddenly, the cutlet didn't look so appealing anymore. She threw a couple of bills on the table and left. Sitting alone in a café? No thanks.

She wandered about the shops for a little while, but being alone just didn't feel so good. After meandering around a while longer, Caroline finally succumbed to her instinct. She needed another girl with her.

Sighing, Caroline pulled out her cell phone and made the call. Hopefully, she would still be in the hotel.

"Hello?"

"Rebekah," Caroline said in relief. "How do you feel about a little shopping?"

* * *

_Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz_

The sound of the Blackberry's vibrations echoed the fancy penthouse room. Elijah Mikaelson sighed from where he sat at the opposite of the room and speeded towards the phone. He almost gave a start of surprise at the caller ID.

"Brother," he said.

"Elijah," Klaus's crisp voice echoed back. "What are you doing in Rome?"

Elijah paused for a second. This was when things did not go according to plan.

Klaus's mirthless laughter sounded from the phone. "Oh, did you think I wouldn't have my sources in Rome? Rebekah was spotted this morning in the lobby of a hotel, putting up quite the argument with some blonde wench. I know you're there too, so how about we simply cut to the chase?"

"Listen," Elijah replied evenly. "I should hope that since you are able to speak with me, that you have not yet boarded your flight. Stay exactly where you are, and under any circumstances, do not come to Rome. Rebekah and I came here because we have caught wind that Katerina Petrova is plotting against you, rallying up all your old enemies to make you take the cure and then kill you soon afterwards. We came to stop them, and to bring you home."

There was a slight pause as Klaus processed this from the other end.

"What _source_ have you been told this from?" he asked, suspicion all over his voice.

"Because it sounds to me," he continued, "that Rebekah just wants the cure for herself and you are helping her get it. Do not take me for a fool, Elijah. If you really wanted to protect me, why have you waited until I called you to tell me about this? In fact, in all makes sense." He laughed. "You're _very_ close friends with Katerina, and this is how you're helping Rebekah."

Elijah at this point began to panic. This was not how it was supposed to be at all.

"No, no, Niklaus, you're wrong-"

"Oh, am I now? Well, if I am, then I guess it's just too bad and that I will have to confront all my enemies then. How handy it would be to have all of them gathered up in front of me for me to kill at once, instead of my having to hunt them down, one by one."

"No. Klaus, stay where you are and _do not get on that plane_."

"Well, brother, whoever informed you about my plane schedules must have awfully miscalculated, _because I'm already here_."

Elijah froze in shock.

"I'll see you tonight," Klaus sneered. "_Brother_."

* * *

"Turn," Rebekah's crisp voice commanded. Caroline angled herself in a way so that both she and Rebekah could both see the reflection in the dressing room corridor mirror. She was dressed in the silkiest top she had ever worn. It was in Caroline's favorite sleeveless style, with light pink stitching all around the hem and neckline.

The two blondes had spent somewhere between seven to eight hours roaming nearly all of the malls in downtown Rome. Although Caroline had wanted to visit the quaint, historic villages, the bustling city was a very welcome change from boring old Mystic Falls. She could have probably stayed there forever, even if the only company she had was that of the obnoxious Original sister's.

Nonetheless, Caroline was having loads of fun. She sincerely enjoyed Rome and its wonders. She loved the history that was engraved in every single brick of every building. She longed to learn to speak the Italian language that she had heard so many speak—all the romantic swirls of vowels and the sharp accents of each word. Caroline knew that the central downtown was a tourist hotspot and probably wasn't the best way to be immersed in true culture, but what she had experienced already amazed her like never before.

Perhaps Klaus could take her to somewhere _truly_ Italian one day. The thought flitted into her mind without her realizing it. Immediately, she flipped it away, turning somewhat pink with embarrassment in the process.

"It looks nice," Rebekah said from behind her, interrupting Caroline from her thoughts. "Are you actually going to buy this one, or are you just going to leave it like you have with all of the other clothes you've tried on?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. Rebekah knew that Caroline wasn't exactly loaded and couldn't afford more than two articles of clothing from these stores. Despite Rebekah's protests, Caroline wouldn't take any of her money, either. At least, not after the rather sizable sum she was given this morning. Finally, Rebekah had just become bored of continuously trying on clothes that Caroline never bought.

Rebekah wasn't awful to be with. She really wasn't. Although at times her unpleasant attitude could get under Caroline's skin, she was actually a human girl like no other. In fact, it was often that she seemed to try a little too hard to be one. It was almost… endearing, to watch the thousand-year old vampire who could have anything she wanted try so hard to be something that Caroline personally never liked. Human.

"Do you know the plan for tonight?" Rebekah asked rhetorically. "On Elijah's signal, we will immediately take off for the airport. When you visited Tyler, what did he tell you?" Rebekah, who had at first refrained from asking questions related to Caroline's bad encounter with Tyler, was now indifferent to Caroline's flinch at the mention of his name.

"He told me to go to the meeting place," Caroline replied coolly. "The Coliseum."

Rebekah furrowed her perfectly arched eyebrows. "Is that where they plan to kill Nik?"

Caroline nodded.

"You're not actually planning to go, are you?"

Pursing her lips, Caroline sighed. "I don't know. My encounter with Tyler was hardly anything today, but if it's one thing, he was persistent that I came. He is so obsessed with killing Klaus that it's almost as if he wants everyone who despised him to watch him die."

Rebekah was silent for a moment, to Caroline's surprise.

"And do you? Despise him, I mean?"

"No," was Caroline's immediate answer. "Everyone keeps asking me that. I… really don't. It's weird. He's done so many awful, awful things to me and everyone I love, but when it comes down to it, I know that he's actually sorry. There have been people who have done even worse to me," she swallowed, thinking of the times when Damon fed on her, abused her, and then compelled her to forget. "And they've never even acknowledged that they did something wrong, much less apologize. Klaus did, and I can see he's making an effort. So, no, I don't despise him. I think he's all right."

Rebekah smiled for a moment, then it faded. "So are you going to the Coliseum tonight with Tyler, then?"

Caroline shrugged. "I feel as if he would get really suspicious if I didn't come, and we sort of need someone to distract him in case word leaks out that Klaus has made his escape. But at the same time, Katherine's going to be there, and we all know how I feel about her."

Rebekah nodded, a pensive look coming over her face. "I… think you should go," she said finally. "You're right about needing a lookout on the other side." She gave Caroline a small smile. "I also know that you're _in love_ with this city, and that it would mean the world if you got the chance to spend a few more days in here. So I'll change your plane date to… how's three days?"

At this, Caroline's mouth positively popped open. Was this really Rebekah talking to her? Rebekah, who not twenty-four hours ago was a total conniving bitch? Her first thought was that Rebekah was tricking her. Then she remembered: Katherine was manipulative and Klaus was manipulative and Damon was manipulative… but Rebekah was not one to deceive. She was stubborn, but not sly.

Graciously, Caroline accepted the offer.

"I'll do everything in my ability to help you guys," she promised Rebekah. There was a pause before she spoke again. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"I told you," Rebekah replied. "All I've ever wanted to be was human. I don't like this vampire life, as a thousand years of killing and guilt and vulgarity is enough. I'm sick of murdering when I don't get my way. But now… now I've realized that what I've always wanted was right in front of me. I've never met vampires like you, who seem so simply human in every way possible. Now I realize that I don't have to be human, I can be _humane_. I can have it all while having it all," she smiled.

The Original sister's words oddly touched Caroline's heart. She was never honored for her humanity. In fact, Caroline had always thought of her human life as a dark passage of time that she'd rather not remember. And so much was true—Caroline was oddly much better at being a human when she was a vampire.

Caroline gave Rebekah a tiny smile, continuing to flip through the racks of clothing and sorting them into neat piles.

"What time are you supposed to be there?" Rebekah asked.

"Ten PM." Caroline made a face. "Tyler is making this a huge deal. He is…" she sighed, shaking her head. "He is _obsessed_ with killing Klaus. He's even making me wear a dress!"

Rebekah looked a little bit disturbed, but nodded and started out of the dressing room.

"In that case, you'd best purchase something before it's time to leave. I'm bored of this store. Let's go to the next floor," she said.

Caroline nodded in consent, and the pair left and headed to the elevator.

* * *

Elijah cleared his throat and knocked on the glossy, black door. He was not nervous of Klaus—his brother did not frighten him in the way that everyone else was. Rather, he was nervous _for_ him. Elijah had slightly miscalculated. He'd thought Klaus wouldn't be so self-destructive as to seriously consider going, but at the same time Elijah still knew that Klaus wouldn't face off his enemies without his family by his side. As long as Elijah refused to go with him, Klaus would back off.

The door swung open. A pretty, red-haired lady with smooth skin and long legs looked at Elijah in a slightly accusatory fashion.

"Hello," she said warily. "Do you have an appointment with Mr. Mikaelson? I don't recall getting any notice that he was expecting anyone."

Elijah shook his head. "I'm his brother. I don't need an appointment."

The woman didn't move an inch, attempting to stare Elijah down. "I don't believe you. You're not allowed on this floor unless you have an appointment. How did you get past the guards?"

At this point, Elijah's patience began to slip. He bent down to look her in the eye.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

Her pupil dilated. Good. She wasn't on vervain then—she could be compelled.

"Jacqueline," she said monotonously.

"Well then, Jacqueline," Elijah continued. "You're Niklaus's assistant?"

She nodded meekly. "And his backup," she squeaked.

"Fantastic. Can you tell me what other backup he has brought, and if they are all here?"

Jacqueline thought for a moment. "There are seventeen of us from New Orleans. Mr. Mikaelson killed Alicia along the way because she was being incompetent, but that's it. Only Colin and I are allowed in Mr. Mikaelson's penthouse, because we're his assistants. The rest are all in rooms the next flight down."

Elijah nodded. "Excellent. Now," he said, looking her right in the eyes. "You are going to let me in, and you are going to tell my brother that someone he wants to see is expecting him. As for you, Colin, and the rest of his backup? You are going to tell them that Klaus no longer needs them, and you guys can go back to New Orleans. Got it?"

"Yes," she said, and opened the door for Elijah to go in. "You can stay in the family room. I'll get Klaus," she said.

Elijah chuckled under his breath.

"The _family room_ would be quite the perfect match," he said.

He paced around the front of the room for a few moments, his hands laced behind his back. He tried to think of ways to convince Klaus to back off at first, but gave up. After a few moments, he just settled for examining the intricate crisscrossing of the black and maroon patterns on the carpet. Such a repetitive and common routine had always settled his mind.

Elijah was in the middle of counting the swirls beneath his feet when the faint sound of footsteps across the hall made his ears perk up. He sat back on a brown velvet sofa and waited.

"I do hope you're here to join me tonight," Klaus's cold voice cut through the space between them. Elijah turned just as his brother's shadow fell over him. Elijah looked at him calmly.

"Sit down, and we can discuss matters peacefully," he said.

"I'll stand, thank you very much," his brother said. "I can't imagine our conversation would take very long. If you choose to join me, we'll round up our backup and formulate a plan immediately. And, well, if you choose the alternative, then I'm sure Jacqueline would be more than happy to escort you out."

"Very well then," Elijah sighed, standing up as well. "I want to make one thing very clear to you, and you must promise me to hear me out."

Klaus eyed him suspiciously.

"I am not here to join you," Elijah said. Beside him, he could see Klaus's face tighten. "I am here to talk you out of it."

"Well, mission unaccomplished then, brother. Jacqueline!" Klaus called.

"I am not leaving! I simply do not believe that you will go alone."

Klaus glared at him. "Or is it because you have this formulated plan all along? To give Rebekah the cure by using your connection with Katerina?"

"Rebekah doesn't even want the cure anymore, Niklaus! And somehow, I can't imagine you would want something that badly enough to face down all of your enemies. Whatever would the cure do for you?"

"I want it so nothing can kill me," Klaus snarled. "I know Rebekah has the last dagger and the white oak stake, and if she gets hold of the cure, then she has everything she needs to rid the world of my existence!"

"She wants to take it," Elijah said, his calm demeanor starting to wear. His brother was beginning to be so frustrating that Elijah just wanted to murder him too. Only Niklaus could bring this reaction out of him.

"So you do admit that this was your plan?"

"No, it wasn't. Why is it so hard to believe that your family isn't out to get you, like you are to us?"

"Rebekah hates me, and you adore her! I have no family who loves me, so why would I wish happiness upon you? Why would I want her to have a moment of joy from the cure?!"

"_We are a family_!" Elijah shouted at last. "Whether you like it or not, I am not going to let you walk into that death trap!" he spat the last two words. He grabbed his brother and shook him. "Don't you get it?! _Open your eyes, Niklaus. _Open your eyes! Your family is not the danger to you. How could you be so blind as not to see what you're walking into? Katerina loathes you, she has an instrument that can kill you, and she's bringing thousands of others who will gladly take part in taking your life. _Who do you trust?!"_

Klaus's eyes were wide and disbelieving. Elijah heaved a sigh and took his hands off his brother's shoulders, crossing his arms and waiting for Klaus's reaction. For a few moments, he didn't say anything, and Elijah truly believed that he had finally gotten through to him. Maybe he should try yelling more often.

Elijah looked outside the window. Night was falling. It was probably around eight o'clock at this time. He had no idea when the appointment with Katerina was supposed to be, and with any luck, they would miss it.

"I will not be made a fool," Klaus finally said in a quiet voice. "I trust you more than I do my enemies, but I trust my instinct more than anything else. I need to go, Elijah. I need to clean up all my loose ends. This is not about the cure anymore. It's about destroying my enemies." Klaus's eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked at Elijah excitedly. He clapped his hand on Elijah's shoulder.

"Say you'll go with me!" Klaus exclaimed. "Say you and Rebekah will come, be my backup, and I promise the both of you that I will hand over the cure for Rebekah's taking. _I give you my word_."

Elijah stood there for a moment, not knowing what to think. His main goal in coming here was to keep Klaus safe. He didn't believe Klaus would survive if Katerina truly did have thousands of others as well as the cure. But with not only a number of backup, but with two Originals as well? They could definitely make it out of the mess, plus Rebekah would gain the cure as well. Without enemies, furthermore, the way to redemption for Klaus would be even better. And maybe this was the key to reuniting the entire family—Klaus would trust Elijah and Rebekah, and Rebekah would finally squash her doubts about Klaus.

"Very well," Elijah said. "I will notify Rebekah immediately."

* * *

Rebekah was examining the day's load of clothes in her hotel room. She could hear Caroline humming from the other room, clearly excited about the one item of clothing she bought in nine hours of shopping.

It was a gorgeous dress. Even she admitted that Caroline had looked amazing in it. Instead of the tight, curve-hugging cocktail dresses Rebekah was sure Caroline was used to, it was a long, flowing silk piece. It was beautiful, with all its pink hues in the peach fabric. It looked like it belonged on the Roman goddess Venus.

Rebekah straightened a black blazer and folded it up to tuck in her suitcase. The sound of her phone's ringing suddenly cut across the room.

She was next to it in an instant. All day, she had been waiting for Elijah's signal, and it had already been two hours later than when Elijah had promised to call.

Sure enough, it was him.

"What happened?!" Rebekah exclaimed. "Did you get him? And why didn't you call me?"

"Change of plans, sister," he replied. Elijah told her everything that had went down with Klaus. When he got to the part of the cure, Rebekah froze. She had just become accustomed to the idea that she could live a blessed vampire life—having it all while having it all, just like Caroline did. Now, with the opportunity of the cure clearly within her reach, she no longer knew if she wanted it.

Rebekah listened to her brother numbly, the words barely registering. She heard enough to know her instructions—she would meet Elijah and Klaus at the entrance of the Coliseum in half an hour.

Suddenly, she snapped back to attention. "What about Caroline?" she asked.

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Elijah had clearly not factored this in.

"Tell her to stay in the hotel," Elijah said at last. "We don't want Klaus seeing her. I'm sure he would not be very happy if he knew we brought her along."

"But Tyler had already told her to be there. He thinks she's on his side. She's supposed to be there already, actually."

"Is she?"

"No. She's with me. She's been with me all day."

More silence.

"I… don't think that's such a good idea. This plan is supposed to go off without a hitch. I'm not sure how Klaus would react."

Rebekah thought for a moment. "Didn't we promise Caroline that we would pardon Tyler?"

"Yes, which brings me to my next point. Klaus expects us to destroy every single one of the thousand gathered to kill him. But we're not going to do that." Just then, the sound of Klaus's voice echoed from Elijah's end of the phone.

"Look, I have to go. I'll tell you the rest of the plan when you get here."

Rebekah sighed. "All right. I'll be there soon." They hung up.

She heard a throat clearing from the opposite end of the room. Her blood froze, as she realized that Caroline had heard it all. Turning, the blonde vampire was leaning against the doorway, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm not leaving Tyler with you people," Caroline said. She shrugged. "Sorry, as much as you've been a good person lately, I still don't trust you guys with the whole scheme of things."

Rebekah sighed again. "I know, I just-"

"Please," Caroline said, walking towards her. "We can go together. I promise, Elijah and Klaus never have to know. I just have to sneak in, get Tyler out, and leave. We'll contact each other later."

"Fine," Rebekah barked, her patience wearing thin at the people nipping at her from both sides. "Get your things and we'll go."

Caroline grinned. "Great! Don't forget to tell Klaus to wear his finery!" she said.

The Original sister rolled her eyes.

* * *

Tyler watched as Katherine circled the arena, examining everyone like an eagle would to its prey.

"Are we all here?" Tyler called to her. Katherine didn't look up and nodded her head. Her curls were done to perfection, and a short, revealing black minidress barely covered her skin. Her lips were as red as blood, the only dot of color on her ensemble of black dress, black boots, and black fishnets. Simply put, she looked menacingly gorgeous.

"We're just missing one person," she drawled, sauntering up to Tyler. "Where's your pretty little girlfriend, Tyler?" she said, in a little bit of a threatening tone.

Tyler shifted uncomfortably. "I said she would come, didn't I?"

"Then has she suddenly acquired the skill to turn invisible? Because I don't see her."

Tyler rolled his eyes and walked away to examine the arena himself. It truly was extravagant. There was a huge bonfire in the middle of the ruins, right where the gladiators used to fight in the era of the Roman Empire. The flickering orange flames cast eerie shadows all across the dark structure, giving everything a creepy glow. Of course, it was not served for decorative purposes alone. In fact, it would Klaus's very last resting place. It would be where, after the cure was shoved down his throat and every single one of his enemies had a kick at him, he would be ripped into pieces and tossed into. Only slowly and painfully of course.

He eyed the rest of the people. There had to be at least a thousand. He couldn't believe—no, he absolutely _could_ believe, that Klaus had made so many enemies. He was only surprised there hadn't been more. It was fine, though, A thousand was more than enough to take on one Original, especially if there was the cure to enable him to die.

The only issue was if he would bring backup. Klaus was not stupid—he must have realized the second Katherine told him the location where Klaus would "receive the cure" was the Coliseum, that something was up. The question was the number of people Klaus would bring.

Tyler had wondered if he would bring his siblings. That would tip the balance considerably in Klaus's favor, and would be the difference between success and certain death. When he voiced his worries to Katherine, however, she had merely laughed. She told him not to worry—Rebekah would sooner watch Klaus die and Elijah was wrapped around Katherine's little finger.

Tyler shook his head to clear the doubts. Everything would go as planned.

Now all he needed was Caroline. He pushed away his guilt once again. Care would understand. She hated Klaus as much as he did, didn't she? Everything would become okay again.

* * *

Just outside the Coliseum, the sound of two hearts dropping onto the concrete ground vibrated in Elijah's ears. But he didn't have to worry about anyone hearing them. It was far too loud inside the building for anything to be picked up—even with vampire hearing.

Klaus eyed the two guards Elijah had just killed—they were now lying on the ground. Next to him, his group of about forty or so vampires and werewolves that would back the Originals up were shifting uncomfortably. The backup from New Orleans eyed the backup from Rome. Klaus hoped the tension between those two groups didn't turn into a problem.

"It's late. Call Rebekah again," he told Elijah impatiently. He wanted to get the night over with as soon as possible.

Elijah pulled out his BlackBerry and called. Rebekah's irritated voice answered.

"I said I'm coming!" she said.

"I know you are. How soon?" her brother replied calmly.

"We're in a taxi. The streets are busy and we can't possibly use our vampire speed and risk exposure."

"I know, I know—wait, did you say 'we'? Rebekah, please tell me you did not-" Elijah asked.

He was cut off by the loud sound of a car horn from the other line.

"Sorry Elijah. Someone just crashed in front of us. You and Nik go in first. I'll follow soon after."

"Yes, let me just first notify you on our plans-" He was cut off again, this time by the small "beep" his phone made when Rebekah hung up.

Klaus rolled his eyes.

"You can stay here, then, and let Rebekah know when she comes."

"You won't be safe," Elijah protested.

"Trust me, Elijah. Knowing Katerina, she won't get to it immediately. If she planned something extravagant, she'll drag it out. Come as soon as you get Rebekah. I'm leaving the backup behind. You all can come when Rebekah comes," he said, addressing the last part to the forty-four who were staring at him.

With that, Klaus turned and headed into the dark.

* * *

Where the arena had seemed chaotic and loud to Klaus's ears when he first arrived, it was now so silent that a pin could drop and Klaus would hear it like a machine gun's going off.

When Klaus entered the arena, all heads and eyes were already staring at him in anticipation. Klaus wanted to laugh. What had they thought, that Klaus would be surprised that there were so many of them? Had they honestly thought Klaus would be clueless as to his own killing?

He knew who would speak—knew exactly who would represent them all. Even if he didn't, she was standing right before the raging fire in the center of it all—Miss Katerina Petrova. Her lips were blood red, her clothes a stark black—Klaus knew she intended death. Perfect, then. She was dressed to her own funeral.

His eyes did a slow sweep around the room, surveying all of his enemies. He could name each and every one of them. On the far left there was Alistair, the old vampire from 800 years ago who had told Mikael where Klaus and his siblings were hiding at the time. There was Cora, a witch from two hundred years ago who had evidently used a spell to stretch out her life. And there were werewolves—all from recent years, because werewolves didn't live forever.

He reached the podium where Katherine stood. Katherine's face, which had been as blank and cold as a wall, warmed into a grin when Klaus stopped just before her. Her blood red lips curled into her classic manipulative smile.

Beside her, there was slight shift. Klaus's eyes snapped to attention. He suddenly stood stock still. How was it possible that Tyler Lockwood was here? It had been a mere week or two since Klaus had forced Tyler out of town.

Klaus suddenly thought of the blue-eyed, curly haired blonde girl he had left behind at home. He remembered everything he had promised her, everything she had come to agree to with him, and that last deal they made together. Klaus had to show his humanity to Caroline to prove what he said—that the world wasn't so black and white.

The sound of Katherine's throat's clearing jolted Klaus from his thoughts. He glared at Tyler, and then returned the glower to Katherine.

"You're probably wondering why I gathered all our old friends here," Katherine said sweetly.

"I think I have an inkling of an idea, but why don't you enlighten me?" Klaus retorted.

Katherine's grin grew even wider. "I was hoping you'd ask me that," she said. She turned to Tyler. "Tyler," she drawled, making sure to glance at Klaus in a baiting way. "Why don't you go check if our… special guest… is here, while I will make a _wonderful_ announcement to kick off this ceremony."

Klaus flinched. Katherine's special guest would most likely be Klaus's only weakness, and the only one more powerful than he would be Silas.

"See, here's the thing," she said, pretending not to notice Klaus's reaction. She tapped twice on the microphone so readily connected on the podium.

"Friends!" she called out to everyone, her voice booming across the stadium. Klaus rolled his eyes. They were all supernaturals here, and it wasn't as if Katherine needed the microphone to be heard. Klaus's every instinct told him to bark at her to cut to the chase, but knew he had to stay silent and stall everything until Elijah and Rebekah came into the picture.

"Let's define the term 'friendship' here," Katherine continued. "People who are simply 'allies' have a common enemy. They have a common goal, and the best way for them to destroy this enemy is to come together. But I think we have all grown to be so much more than just that. See, Klaus, with your promise of chasing each and every one of us down, you have given us a bond. We are all fugitives, and we have all been this way for most of our lives now. Do you know how terrifying that is? To spend _every waking minute_ wondering, worrying, and flinching at the tiniest sound our bathroom doors make in the middle of the night—constantly living in fear that our lives could end. Do you know what it feels like to have to commit each and every little thing to memory, because there is always the possibility that we would never see that thing again? Because I don't think you do," she said.

Klaus wanted to correct her—wanted to yell at her that if she think she had it bad, she was wrong. Mikael had chased Klaus and all his siblings for a thousand years. Five hundred was measly. Cowardly, even. But he let her speak.

"So now, despite the fact that we can't make you feel this way for any more than a few hours, I hope you enjoy our last gift to you: fear. You are finally going to experience what you have cursed upon us. You are going to listen to every single one of our stories—how we ran, how we cowered, and most importantly, how we will finally live when you're gone. And you will wish you'd taken back each threat, because at the end of this all, the only one to be gone… will be you," her voice was a mere whisper at the end. "You will be stuck on the other side, seeing each of us in our new lives, and we will have forgotten all about you. You will be infinitely, and utterly alone."

Despite everything, Klaus felt awful. His insides felt like they had already been gnawed into pieces as Katherine spoke everything he was afraid of and promised it into a reality. Then he realized this was his humanity, and by instinct, turned that humanity into pure white, hot rage. He would destroy them. He would destroy each and every one of them so that they would be the ones stuck on the other side.

"You want the cure, Klaus? Well don't worry. Stay for the party. I promise, at the end, I'll give it to you. Just not in the way you want," Katherine grinned. "Oh, but before we begin. Her cunning eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the strongest ones. "Alistair, Tobias, Emma, and Anderson. You know what to do."

Klaus turned, only to be intercepted by four pairs of strong arms, each pinning Klaus back. Klaus managed to reach under Tobias's arms and rip his heart out in a flash, grinning maliciously. Katherine got it wrong. Tobias was only as old as she was. She would need about six vampires as strong as Alistair, at 800 to 900 years, to handle Klaus.

He turned to Emma, who was a few years older than Alistair, about to take her on as well, when four new vampires along with the remaining three grabbed Klaus and pinned him back. He felt the sting of vervain ropes on his wrists, though by now he was so used to it that it was faint and barely caused him to flinch anymore. He silently swore as he realized each of them were on vervain, so it wasn't like he could compel them. He scanned the room again.

Klaus again felt the urge to laugh. Katherine was still so stupid. There were only the handful of about a dozen "old" vampires, and she just used half of them on Klaus. The rest were all werewolves, who were only as strong as humans when the moon wasn't full, and then the witches. The other vampires and werewolves would be all too easy to dispose of. It was only the witches Klaus had to worry about. When Elijah and Rebekah arrived, Katherine didn't stand a chance.

Knowing this, Klaus let them grab him, saving his energy for later.

The whole room fell silent as Katherine squinted at Klaus, clearly in deep thought.

"What are you waiting for?" Klaus spat. "Commence with whatever you were doing!" he shouted.

Katherine grinned at his discomfort. "All in good time, _Lord Niklaus_," she said, drawing out the last two syllables sarcastically. She turned around, suddenly annoyed. "Tyler!" she snapped. "Where is she? If that little blonde wench copped out on us, I_ swear_," she hissed.

Klaus froze. Little blonde wench? Suddenly, it all became very clear to him. They had lured not only him here, but _Caroline_ as well. At this point, Klaus began to panic. When Elijah and Rebekah came, they had been given strict orders to kill. Leave no survivors. And through the whole mess, what would happen to her? Danger and destruction, Klaus could handle. But he was never the one to play savior. One thing didn't make sense, however…

"Tyler," he called, spitting on the ground. The young hybrid slowly turned to meet Klaus's gaze, almost as if he himself didn't want to look at Klaus because he felt guilty.

"How could you?" Klaus asked in a threateningly low voice. "And here I thought Caroline had the right to choose you over me. Here I thought-" he was cut off by Tyler's growl.

"This isn't what you think," Tyler snapped. "I'm going to bring her back. Do you think for one second that I would let her die, knowing she would be gone for good? I'm not you, Klaus. Everything I do has been for this."

* * *

"Elijah!" Rebekah called breathlessly. Turning slightly, she casually made sure Caroline had snuck around the back entrance safely.

"Finally," Elijah sighed in relief. "Come, I'll explain to you along the way." They and Klaus's backup started along the ancient passageway down to the main arena.

"As I was saying, Klaus expects us to assist in killing the thousand gathered down there. But we're not going to do that," he continued.

"Because we're here to redeem Klaus," Rebekah concluded.

Elijah nodded, casually looking over a ledge, down where everyone was gathered. Unsurprised, he saw his brother in the clutches of seven very old, very strong vampires.

"So here's the plan," he said, leaning away. "Klaus is held down there by seven old vampires. We're going to give them a surprise. Those seven will hopefully be the only collateral damage we face today. Immediately after, we grab Klaus. I will hold him down for some time being, but only a short while. Hopefully, you'll get Tyler out of there by then. Then, you must somehow detain Niklaus while I go after Katerina and get you that cure. All the same time, we'll be yelling at the thousand others to flee, to never cross our paths for fear of their lives. Tell them they are free unless they cross us. Understand?"

Rebekah nodded. "Why can't I go after Katherine?" she asked. "I'm the one who wants the cure."

Elijah gave her an exasperated look. "Look, Bekah. Trust me, you will have that cure. But right now, I need to see Katherine. Perhaps for the last time." His face looked so broken at the end of it all that Rebekah couldn't bear to say no. She already saw it on his face. Elijah was going to kill Katherine.

She put a hand on his arm. "Elijah…" she said. "I know how much it will pain you."

Elijah didn't look at her and shook her off, nodding in the direction they were supposed to head.

"Listen to me," his sister insisted. "I don't need that cure. Not anymore. I think I found a way to live well. Although, I would certainly love to have it above all…" she sighed. "I don't need it anymore. If worst comes to worst, and you honestly cannot bear having to kill her, then give her the cure. Katherine. Get that peasant girl back, and maybe she'll be around to stay this time."

Elijah gave her a startled look, but quickly recovered. He nodded and patted her on the back.

"Thank you, Bekah," he said, pulling her into a hug. Then he looked over the ledge again, at the chaos about to erupt below. "Come on, let's go and get tonight over with."

* * *

Caroline was in the dark.

That creepy feeling came over her again, the one that had settled over her skin like a fine layer of dust that night in the Lockwood cellar, after Silas or whoever it was had locked her up, Bonnie had found her almost dead, and Klaus had carried her home.

It was back.

Maybe it was the dress she was wearing. It was the gorgeous, silky light pink piece that flowed to the ground and hugged all the right places. She had been so excited to wear it. Now, it just seemed like a little too much.

She took a deep breath and focused on the stairs she was walking down. Just one more flight. She could already sense the air, charged with electricity and tension. She just needed to grab Tyler, avoid being seen by any Original, and leave before it all erupted.

Another knot tied in her stomach. What would happen to Klaus? She knew Elijah and Rebekah would put him before all else and not let anything happen to him. She also knew Klaus was more than capable of helping himself. But she still couldn't shake away the feeling that this would ignite something in Klaus, something internal that couldn't be fixed.

Caroline was so lost in her thoughts that she almost tripped over the last step. Just in front of her, an old stone door stood partially open, allowing in some of the flickering light that the large fire emitted. The spooky shadows swirled at her feet and played over her face. For a moment, Caroline rested her hand on the handle. She looked outside the crack at the arena in front of her.

Immediately, she saw him. Klaus was held back by seven others, each with menacing and vengeful expressions on their faces. There was a girl with many tattoos, chewing her lip impatiently. There was a middle-aged man with thick brows and a large nose. They and all the others were all watching the argument going on in between Klaus and… Caroline craned her neck, unable to see from behind who he was arguing with. Then the firelight caught his face as he turned and…

Caroline audibly gasped. Tyler. How was she supposed to get him away when he was taunting Klaus in plain sight, stealing this horrific show?

If she went up to him, it would be okay, but Klaus wasn't supposed to see her. Caroline decided to sneak in a little bit closer to get a better sense of what they were arguing about.

As she squeezed through the door and wedged herself between a disgruntled old werewolf and a creepy witch with a red bandana and wooden clogs, she heard their distinct voices—Tyler's smooth and boyish while Klaus's accented and cultured by the experience of speaking many languages.

"I'm not you, Klaus! Everything I have done has been for this," she heard Tyler say.

Klaus scoffed. "Oh really? Then explain to me how you have the nerve to call me out and say I put my revenge before her. You are just as bad as I am."

Caroline frowned. Wait, her? Who was her?

Tyler bristled. "You killed my mother, then when I wanted to get revenge, you tried to kill her to make a point. You only saved her because she fed you some line about overcoming your retarded daddy issues. Yeah, I know. I was the one who came up with the idea," Tyler smirked. "And here you are, daring to call me out on my own behavior. Have you no sense of decency? Oh wait…" Tyler grinned.

Caroline froze. They were talking about her. Caroline felt the urge to go up and correct Tyler. He was the one who suggested Caroline play on Klaus's feelings, but Caroline hadn't intended to feed on Klaus's soft spot. Everything she said was honest and true. That was just the way her strange dynamic with Klaus seemed to always work.

"Decency?" Klaus barked. "You have the nerve to complain about my own decency? I promised I would never hurt her again. I even had the 'decency' to let you go, for her sake. After you attempted to kill me, what, not one, not two, but three times? And this is the fourth? I sired you, freed you from the pain of being a werewolf, and you decide to kill me. You tried to murder me four times, and I still decided to let you go. And now, you're the one sacrificing your own girlfriend! For what, may I ask? Right, to _prove a point_." he breathed hard, glaring at Tyler with rage so great, it took some intensity away from the large fire burning besides him.

What the hell was going on? Caroline was baffled. Sacrificing… Caroline?

"To beat you at your own game," Tyler snarled. "You've wreaked enough havoc and caused enough pain in this world, Klaus. And I'm going to bring Caroline back. My only regret through all this is that you don't get to watch as Caroline comes running back to me after all this is over. Oh, wait, but you do. On the other side."

Tyler smiled, turning to Katherine. "Isn't it great how it all comes full circle?"

A small voice answered from behind him.

"No, Tyler. I don't think it is."

Tyler whipped around. Behind him, Caroline stood, her golden hair cascading in waves around her face, looking like an angel in the face of death. Her beautiful dress flowed around her, moving with the light breeze that was going through the area. Flickering shadows and moonlight covered her skin in patterns of dark and light.

"No, Care, I can explain," Tyler said, panicking.

"How could you?" Caroline cried. "After everything we've been through? How could you put revenge before me?"

"Look, you know how much I wanted this! I thought you did too!" Now Tyler actually had the nerve to look offended. "Remember?" he said desperately. "He killed my mother! And think about all we have lost, all our friends have lost, because of… that monster," he spat, shaking an accusing finger at Klaus.

"Yeah, that was the difference between you and him! You were good. You knew when to stop being a tyrant. I always thought that was what made you a better leader! But... ugh!" she yelled, grabbing her hair in her hands in frustration. "You're even worse! Klaus is making an effort, and he's getting better."

Tyler stared in dumbfounded shock for a moment, then dropped his hands to his sides. He scoffed. "Oh, okay, right. Yeah," he said, shaking his head. He turned to Klaus, hatred burning from his eyes. "Now you're going to take her away too? You took away everyone else already, and now Caroline?"

"No," he heard Caroline say. "You had me. You took me away all by yourself."

Tyler never had the chance to reply, because suddenly, there were screams and the awful sounds of hearts dropping onto the ground.

Caroline whipped around. Next to Klaus, the bodies of seven old vampires dropped as well. Standing behind him were Elijah and Rebekah, their hands wet with fresh blood.

The Originals were all together.

Everything happened in a blur after that. There was screaming, and crying, and yelling as a stadium of one thousand and four people went into uproar. Caroline never had the chance to see Klaus's reaction to seeing her arrive. A wall had closed in around Klaus—everyone wanted revenge. Elijah and Rebekah fought them off easily. No one stood a chance. After about ten deaths, people began to run the opposite way, away from all the violence.

Rebekah suddenly broke off from Klaus, leaving Elijah to hold him alone. She shouted to everyone: "Leave, get out, and never come back! You are all free now! Cross one of our paths again, and you are most well assured that you will be dead! I repeat, YOU ARE ALL FREE NOW!"

She repeated this for some time, while the chaotic mass of people were shoved through the stadium's tiny entrances. Caroline got the shaky feeling that the Coliseum would collapse under this much supernatural duress.

There was a howl. She whipped her head back just in time to see that Klaus had broke free of Elijah's clutches and was hurtling himself at the nearest victim. Caroline understood what Elijah and Rebekah were trying to do—trying to minimize the number of deaths Klaus inflicted and further taking a step towards his redemption.

So she screamed: "No!" and hurtled herself at Klaus. She wasn't nearly fast enough—the poor werewolf girl's heart was out before she could near ten meters of them—but she did manage to tackle Klaus before he reached anyone else.

He tensed, all muscles locking up. He stared at her from the floor he was knocked into, both of them breathing heavily at their position. Caroline would've gotten up, except she knew that Klaus would just go on a killing spree again.

Finally, Klaus shook off his initial shock and attempted to peel Caroline off as gently as possible. Caroline, however, latched onto him and didn't move. When it became clear that none of this would work, she did the only thing her delirious mind told her to do. She grabbed his face and kissed him, hard.

That stopped him. He froze at first, then grabbed her and pulled her closer, kissing her back. They forgot about everything else. All the craziness around them melted away and the only thing they knew was each other in that tiny moment.

On the other side, Elijah noted that Caroline had the situation under control, and focused on his mission to find Katherine. Tyler was long gone, among the first to escape, just like a coward. Rebekah was still ushering the others out as quickly as possible. And Caroline… Caroline and Klaus were sitting in the middle of it all, kissing like the world was burning down.

But Elijah couldn't worry about it all now. Elijah needed to find Katherine.

He would've thought she escaped, but he knew Rebekah wouldn't let her go and she was somewhere in the masses of people, hiding the way she was good at. He pushed his way through the throng of people for many minutes, finally catching sight of the wave of dark brown curls. In a flash, he was beside her and dragged her out of the crowd.

"No!" Katherine cried, kicking at him.

"I'm not going to play games," Elijah sighed. "Where's the cure, Katerina?"

Katherine glared at him, those chocolate doe-eyes now bright with rage.

"It's my only leverage in this world," she pleaded.

"What leverage?" Elijah asked. "Did you not hear my sister? You're free."

"No," Katherine said, shaking her head. "The others are. I'm not. I'll never be. The moment Klaus lets loose, the first he'll come after is me. Not Tyler, not anyone else. Me. Because I'm the one who taunted him in those first few moments, hitting him exactly where it hurts."

She looked at Elijah. "Why are you defending him?" she asked softly. "What's the point?"

Elijah sighed and refused to look at her. "Give me the cure," he repeated in a low voice.

Katherine's face crumpled in a way Elijah had never seen it. She sounded almost tearful, but he didn't believe it for a second.

"Are you going to use it on me?" she whispered.

Elijah stared at her, took her in with his eyes. He sighed again. "I don't know, Katerina. Do I have to?"

Katherine shook her head. "You won't. You won't use it on me," she said, smiling a tiny little smile. "You don't want me to die, and you know the only way I can stay alive after all this is if I have the cure for leverage."

Elijah squinted. "And that, my dear Katherine, is exactly why I have to use it on you." Without a further moment's hesitation, he grabbed the cure from where it was in Katherine's high-heeled boot and shoved it down her throat.

"I hope you'll find peace when you wake up," Elijah murmured, kissing her forehead and picking her up. When she was human, Klaus would have no reason to kill her. And Elijah would protect her. He would make sure of it. Maybe the road to Klaus's redemption would also be the road to Katherine's.

All the way across the arena, Rebekah herded the last of the witches out the entrance. She sat back, gazing at the almost empty area and sighed. It had been a long night, but dealing with Klaus and the aftermath would take even longer.

Then she saw them. Caroline and Klaus, wrapped around each other. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Rebekah had Caroline to help her, and that would make things considerably easier. And Elijah carrying Katherine, in the other corner. She knew without seeing that Katherine was in transition into being human.

Maybe things would be all right.

"Come on," she said, straightening her long blonde braid. "Let's go back home."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. My apologies if this chapter was a bit more of tying up leftover feelings and strings and starting a new direction, rather than the Klaroline fluffiness that we all love :) Don't worry, we'll get a lot of that soon. **

**So please let me know what you think! I think this chapter was a bit different than anything else I've done so far. It's not the big "brawl-showdown" thing that was sort of hinted at, but don't worry. There will be one of those soon. **

**Anyway, I realize that on the show, they have turned Katherine into a human as well. Trust me when I say I was very surprised. I had planned this out many weeks ago, that Katherine would be the one consuming the cure, and I debated for days if I should include it after all. Then I realized that my story couldn't really go another way, so I just stuck with my original plot. **

**Thanks so much for sticking with me so far, and I hope you like what's to come! I tried uploading Caroline's dress (yes, I actually found a picture and based the dress off of it), but I somehow can't. Sorry about that :\ **

**Review, let me know what you think! Thank you 3 xoxo**


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